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Tamarix aphylla

(L.) H.Karst. (1882)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Tamaricaceae Genus: Tamarix

athel tamarisk, salt cedar, tamarisk

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrub or small tree.

Stems: Bark reddish brown to gray.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple, highly reduced. Alternate. Blades scale-like. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers bisexual (perfect); Pale pink to nearly white. Calyx of 5 sepals, 1–1.5 mm, margins entire. Corolla of 5 petals oblong to elliptic, 2–2.5 mm. Stamens 5. Ovary superior, 1-locular; ovules 2+ per placenta, anatropous, bitegmic.

Fruit: Capsules with loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds beaked; embryo straight; endosperm absent [scanty; starchy].

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Potentially naturalizing

Island Status

Kaua'i Potentially naturalizing
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Molokai Potentially naturalizing
Lana'i Potentially naturalizing
Kaho'olawe Potentially naturalizing
Maui Unknown
Hawai'i Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean
Wind

Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by McKenna Bonn-Savage
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • ornamental, erosion control, windbreaks. There are no seeds so it has not been naturalized on the islands.

Bibliography

Name Published In: Deut. Fl.: 641 (1882)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1280 (O?, Mo?, L?, M?, Ka?, H? [planted as ornamentals, for erosion control, and as windbreaks, but not known to produce seed], DESCR); Staples & Herbst 2005:544 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Tamarix aphylla Honolulu, Vineyard St., H.S.P.A Preserved_Specimen MacDaniels, L.H. 454 Oahu BISH 1927-01-17
2 Tamarix aphylla Kau, Kaalualu Preserved_Specimen Meinecke, W.H. Hawaii BISH 1960-08-19
3 Tamarix aphylla Kalae lighthouse Preserved_Specimen Woolford, H.A. Molokai BISH 1954-12-21
4 Tamarix aphylla Honolulu, cor. Nuuanu Ave. and Kawananakoa St Preserved_Specimen Jones, Z. Oahu BISH 1937-07-06
5 Tamarix aphylla Honolulu, H.S.P.A. Nursery, Vineyard St Preserved_Specimen Wilder, G.P. Oahu BISH 1930-11-28
6 Tamarix aphylla between Pohakuloa Pt. lighthouse and Kanaeli. Dense monotypic stand several 100 square feet in extent, surrounded by patches of short windswept Prosopis pallida and Sporobolus virginicus, on sand dunes. Preserved_Specimen plants 1/5m tall. Oppenheimer, H.L. 61501 Lanai BISH 2015-06-02
7 Tamarix aphylla E central part of island near Lua Makika, barren hardpan Barren hardpan. Planted in rows Preserved_Specimen Small tree . No flowers. Cuddihy, L.W. 417 Kahoolawe BISH 1980-04-24
8 Tamarix aphylla NE of South Point (Ka Lae), Kau District, between Kaalualu and Waiohinu beside jeep trail in Prosopis pallida scrub. Preserved_Specimen Tree 25-30' tall Corn, C. 273 Hawaii BISH 1979-10-30
9 Tamarix aphylla Camp Erdman, On mauka side of the highway A grove of trees planted by Don Anderson in 1932. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 5464 Oahu BISH 1975-09-11
10 Tamarix aphylla Near Lua Nakika, in State forestry enclosure In State forestry enclosure Preserved_Specimen Tree Herbst, D.R. 6198 Kahoolawe BISH 1978-08-04
11 Tamarix aphylla in Coast Guard enclosure at tip of South Point arid, exposed, windy, with much salt spray; with white flowers Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 5072 Hawaii BISH 1974-10-10
12 Tamarix aphylla SW of Lua Makika, within a fenced goat exclosure Within a fenced goat exclosure Preserved_Specimen Small stand ~ 15' tall Clarke, G. 211 Kahoolawe BISH 1980-04-25
13 Tamarix aphylla Just S of Shipwreck Beach, Small grove near beach houses along road Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 3506 Lanai BISH 1986-06-05
14 Tamarix aphylla Honolulu; Lunalilo St.; near the Academy of Arts Hedge trimmings. Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1943-03-26
15 Tamarix aphylla Moomomi Dunes at Moomomi Bay (Nature Conservancy Preserve) extensive coral sand dunes with low, windswept native vegetation of Sporobolus, Heliotropium, Jacquemontia, Chamaesyce, etc. Preserved_Specimen Shrubs 1.5 m tall forming dense thickets. Spreading locally on tops of dunes. Lorence, D.H. 6325 Molokai BISH 1989-01-12
16 Tamarix aphylla Kalamaula, Kalanianaole Colony area In Prosopis thicket near the ocean Preserved_Specimen Tree Herbst, D.R. 5704 Molokai BISH 1976-03-08
17 Tamarix aphylla Kalamaula, Kalanianaole Colony area In Prosopis thicket near ocean. Preserved_Specimen Tree Herbst, D.R. 5704 Molokai BISH 1976-03-08
18 Tamarix aphylla Kalamaula, Kalanianaole Colony area In Prosopis thicket near ocean. Preserved_Specimen Tree Herbst, D.R. 5704 Molokai BISH 1976-03-08
19 Tamarix aphylla In blowout downslope and between Puumahanalua and adjacent unnamed peak to northeast Highly eroded slope. Trees apparently planted, perhaps an attempt at one time to slow wind erosion. Preserved_Specimen Tree 10 ft tall. Imada, C. 200310 Lanai BISH 2003-06-16
20 Tamarix aphylla Lihue District: Southwest corner of Nawiliwili Park, near intersection of Nawiliwili Road and Waapa Road. On edge of maintained park, surrounded by mowed grass. Preserved_Specimen Two trees, cultivated, growing together surrounded by mowed grass on edge of park, both windblown and leaning with the trades, approximately 20 ft tall. Trees are flowering in terminal panicles, flowers white stamens pink, all stages of flowers but no fruits. Bark is rough, brown, deeply furrowed. Lots of suckers fro Williams, A.M. 827 Kauai BISH 2023-09-15
21 Tamarix aphylla Waimea District: Waimea Plantation Cottages, just west of Waimea town Sandy soil. Two large trees in cultivation along coast behind beach. Preserved_Specimen Tree 23 m. tall, trunk 1.5 m. d.b.h., bark rought. Foliage grayish-green. Flowers greenish-white, faintly sweet-fragrant (5 pm). Lorence, D.H. 8006 Kauai BISH 1997-06-12
22 Tamarix aphylla University of Hawaii Farm Planted tree by roadside. Preserved_Specimen Thirty foot tree. Hosaka, E.Y. 2614 Oahu BISH 1941-12-11
23 Tamarix aphylla Keomoku Rd, about 2 km from ocean. Roadside, extremely dry, sunny area. Preserved_Specimen Two plants seen in this colony, six plants seen growing about 500 m mauka also along the toad. Close enough to road that they may have been planted or be root suckers off of each other. Plants short, barely surpassing 2.5 m tall. Faccenda, K. 3151 Lanai BISH 2023-06-20
24 Tamarix aphylla Moomomi field no. Molokai 16 proposed mining tract; parcel 8 sand dune. Preserved_Specimen tree Takeuchi, W.N. 3250 Molokai BISH 1986-10-30
25 Tamarix aphylla Koloa District, Kalaheo. Along Hwy 50 near Rainbow Plaza Preserved_Specimen Tree of 15 ft.; lvs dull medium green with clear to faintly whitish glands?; calyx pale green at base w/whitish apex, corolla white; stamens pink. Flowers fragrant (7.30 am) Flynn, T.W. 5587 Kauai BISH 1994-08-11
26 Tamarix aphylla Kona, 69 Beach [Waialea Beach] HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 8/30/2013
27 Tamarix aphylla Palawai, Keomuku Preserved_Specimen Tree with 18 inch DBH and about 60 ft. tall (it had blown over) Herbst, D.R. 5781 Lanai BISH 1976-03-30
28 Tamarix aphylla Lihue District; Lihue, Behind State Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Office Preserved_Specimen Plant of six ft., apex topped; stems dark green with whitish scale-like leaves; flowers fragrant: sepals five, green at base with white upper 1/2, petals five, white; filaments white; anthers maroon; stigma white. Flynn, T.W. 4199 Kauai BISH 1990-08-09
29 Tamarix aphylla Kona, 69 Beach [Waialea Beach] HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 8/30/2013
30 Tamarix aphylla Honolulu, Manulani Hts. 3946 Lurline Drive Preserved_Specimen cult. Tree . 7m. Tall., fl. pink St.John, H. 20361 Oahu BISH 1943-08-22
31 Tamarix aphylla Kona, 69 beach HUMAN_OBSERVATION Friday, J.B. Hawaii 8/30/2013
32 Tamarix aphylla Kaunakakai. E part of Molokai Preserved_Specimen Tree. 50 ft., 2 ft. diam. Planted, introduced. Little Jr., E.L. 31230 Molokai BISH 1976-09-16
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