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Chinese Tamarisk
Tamarix chinensis
ギョリュウ
A deciduous shrub to small tree native to China and Central Asia, cultivated in Japan as a garden tree, windbreak, and bonsai. The fine scale-like leaves and soft drooping branches resemble pine foliage, giving rise to the Japanese name 'Gyoryu.' Pale pink small flowers appear in spikes from spring to summer.
Identification Points
- ✓Extremely fine scale-like leaves densely packed
- ✓Branches are slender, flexible, and drooping
- ✓Pale pink small flowers in elongated spikes
Habitat
Gardens, parks, and coastal windbreaks (cultivated)
Season
April–September (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Petal count
Many
Stipules
Absent
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Superior
Phylogenetic Positionギョリュウ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Caryophyllales > Tamaricaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene to Neogene (ca. 40 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Tamaricaceae is well adapted to saline soils and arid environments, capable of excreting excess salt through leaf salt glands. It functions as a pioneer plant in harsh environments such as deserts, coasts, and riverbeds.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification