Tamarix

The genus Tamarix (tamarisk, salt cedar) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may have referred to the Tamaris River in Hispania Tarraconensis (Spain).

Description

They are evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees growing to 1–18 m in height and forming dense thickets. The largest, Tamarix aphylla, is an evergreen tree that can grow to 18 m tall. They usually grow on saline soils, tolerating up to 15,000 ppm soluble salt and can also tolerate alkaline conditions.

Tamarisks are characterized by slender branches and grey-green foliage. The bark of young branches is smooth and reddish-brown. As the plants age, the bark becomes bluish-purple, ridged and furrowed.

The leaves are scale-like, 1–2 mm long, and overlap each other along the stem. They are often encrusted with salt secretions.

The pink to white flowers appear in dense masses on 5–10 cm long spikes at branch tips from March to September, though some species (e.g. T. aphylla) tend to flower during the winter.

Pink

Pink is a pale red color, which takes its name from the flower of the same name. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with love, beauty, charm, politeness, sensitivity, tenderness, sweetness, childhood, femininity, and the romantic. When combined with violet or black, it is associated with eroticism and seduction.

Pink was first used as a color name in the late 17th century.

In nature and culture

The color pink takes its name from the flowers called pinks, members of the genus Dianthus.

The color pink takes its name from the flowers called pinks, members of the genus Dianthus.

In most European languages, pink is called rose or rosa, after the rose flower.

In most European languages, pink is called rose or rosa, after the rose flower.

Cherry blossoms in Senai, Miyagi, Japan. The Japanese language has different words for the pink of cherry blossoms (sakura-iro), and peach blossoms (momo-iro). Recently the word pinku has also become popular.

Tamarisk (horse)

Tamarisk was an Irish-bred champion Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing high class form as a two-year-old in 1997, Tamarisk was named European Champion Sprinter at the 1998 Cartier Racing Awards following a campaign which was highlighted by a win in the Group One Haydock Sprint Cup. Tamarisk was retired after an abortive attempt at the Breeders' Cup Sprint, but failed as a stallion owing to fertility problems. He returned to racing for three further seasons (2000-2002) but was unable to replicate his earlier success. From 2002 to 2006 he returned to stud with marginally better results.

Background

Tamarisk was bred in Ireland by the County Limerick based Mount Coote Stud. His sire, Green Desert, finished second to Dancing Brave in the 2000 Guineas and became a leading sprinter, winning the July Cup. Apart from Tamarisk, he sired the winners of over 1,000 races, including Oasis Dream, Desert Prince, Sheikh Albadou and Cape Cross, the sire of Sea The Stars. Tamarisk’s dam Sine Labe was unraced but came from a good family, being a half sister of the Prix Saint-Alary winner Treble and a close relative of the multiple Group One winning racemare Triptych. Tamarisk was sent as a yearling to the Tattersalls sales in October 1996, where he was sold for 78,000gns to John Warren, a director of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing syndicate.