Tamarisks, also known as saltcedars, are a group of trees and shrubs belonging to the Tamarix genus. Saltcedar shrubs are large compared to many other types of shrub (8 to 16 feet), while saltcedar trees tend to be smaller than most trees (less than 25 feet, on average). Both forms of tamarisk possess small, scale-like leaves. They are also known to have pink or off-white flowers.
Tamarisk shrubs and trees grow mainly on flat ground where water is present. Tamarisks require alkaline and saline soils to flourish.
Also known as Nitraria billardierei DC, the nitre bush is a shrub with mounds or bulges---anywhere from 1/2 m to 2 m high---protruding from its base. The leaves of the nitre bush are oval-shaped, dull grey-green and covered with short, soft hair.
The branches of the nitre bush are spiny, and its flowers bloom in the spring. As with the tamarisk, nitre bushes grow best in saline areas.
Halophytes are another group of plants that do well in soil with high sodium chloride concentrations. There are two types of halophytes: xerohalophytes, which grow in saline-rich but low-moisture soils, and hydro-halophytes, which grow in wetter soil, such as that in or near wetlands. The xerohalophytes are the variety of halophyte most likely to be found in the Gobi Desert.
Halophytes are succulent plants, meaning that they have thick, fleshy leaves and stems for storing water. This is an important adaptation for plants in a water-scarce desert region, where the water conservation abilities of a plant are key to its survival.
