Tamaricaceae

Tamaricaceae (the tamarisk family) is a flowering plant family containing four genera and a total of 78 known species. In the 1980s, the family was classified in the Violales under the Cronquist system; more modern classifications (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group) place them in the Caryophyllales.

The family is native to drier areas of Europe, Asia and Africa. Many grow on saline soils, tolerating up to 15,000 ppm soluble salt and can also tolerate alkaline conditions. The leaves are generally scale-like, measure 1–5 mm long, overlap each other along the stem, and in some species are encrusted with salt secretions.