Tamarix-dalmatica_2b

Description:

Tamarix dalmatica Baum. syn.: T. africana auct. balcan., non Poiret Family: Tamaricaceae LinkEN: Dalmatian tamarisk, DE: Dalmatinische TamariskeSlo.: dalmatinska tamaria, dalmatinski tamariskDat.: April 26. 2006Lat.: 44.37505 Long.: 14.78157Code: Bot_0117/2006_ DSC0244Habitat: among bushes; ruderal, flat terrain; calcareous ground; open, mostly sunny place; elevation 20 m (66 feet); average precipitations ~ 1.000 mm/year, average temperature 13-14 deg C, Sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil.Place: Adriatic Sea, island Olib, in an abandoned garden in south Olib village, Zadar archipelago, Zadar region, Croatia. Comment (pertains to pictures in the Flickr album Tamarix dalmatica): Tamarix dalmatica is warmth loving, mostly east Mediterranean species, however it withstands also colder climate. When in bloom it is very beautiful and hence no wonder it is widely and extensively cultivated in many countries. In Slovenia all plants are either cultivated or rarely an escape from gardens. Genus Tamarix is a complicated one. About 60 species have been described (Ref.: 4) and since the plants are very variable, their determination is often not easy. Miss-identifications are common (Ref.:5). Tamarix dalmatica is a shrub or small tree up to 3 m tall. The plant has brownish or reddish bark on branches and has four petals (but quite frequently five) and four stamens (but sometimes five) in their flowers. Bracts are supposed to be as long as calix or longer according to several authors, but actually they are in most cases shorter than calix (Ref.5). This is the case also in this observation. It has usually four stiles (but only three are not uncommon) (Ref.: 5). The presence of Tamarix dalmatica (and no other species of this genus) on island Olib was confirmed in 2016 by Milovi et al. (2016) (Ref.:6).Ref.:(1) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 425. (2) T. Nikoli, Flora Croatica, Vaskularna flora Republike Hrvatske, Vol. 3. Alfa d.d.. Zagreb (2020) p 654.(3) M. Blamey, C. Grey-Wilson, Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean, A & C Black, London (2005), p 147.(4) R. Brus, Drevesa in grmi Jadrana (Trees and bushes of Adria) (in Slovene), Modrijan Pub, (2012), p 439.(5) Villar, J.L., . Alonso-Vargas, A. Juan, M. Crespo, (2012). Does Tamarix dalmatica (Tamaricaceae) occur in Spain? Anales del Jardn Botnico de Madrid. 69. 253-258.(6) M. Milovi, S. Kovai, N. Jasprica & V. Stamenkovi, Contribution to the Study of Adriatic Island Flora: Vascular Plant Species Diversity in the Croatian Island of Olib, Nat. Croat., Vol. 25:1, 2554 (2016), Zagreb.