Introduction
Tamarix africana
To the left there is a group of small trees encircled by a wall. These are tamarisks.
This small tree or shrub likes damp and slightly salty earth. They are often found in sand near the sea.
They used to be recommended for treating spleen obstructions, and recipients were made from its wood for people to drink from who had problems with this organ. Its action was thought to be so strong that, according to popular superstition, if pigs were fed from tamarisk recipients, they would not have a spleen when slaughtered.
It is a very useful species for fixing dunes and the banks of rivers and torrents.
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