108 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Sp. 2. The Juniper. J. communis. L. 

 Figured in Dr. Bigelow's Medical Botany ; III, Plate 44. 



The stem of the juniper is always completely prostrate upon 

 the surface of the earth, or sometimes just beneath, with the 

 branches spreading in every direction, rooting and forming large 

 beds. It is covered with a soft, reddish, scaly bark. The ex- 

 tremities of the branches are slightly ascending. The branch- 

 lets are very short and horizontal, or curved downwards, with 

 a yellowish green bark which afterwards turns brown, and 

 with long, rounded protuberances between the leaves. The 

 leaves are in whorls of three, short, linear, sessile, rigid, curved 

 at base, ending in a sharp point or bristle, concave towards the 

 extremity of the branch, bright green on one side, and on the 

 other, which, if the branch were erect, would be the upper side, 

 white or glaucous along the middle. The barren and fertile 

 flowers are on different plants. The barren are in short, soli- 

 tary aments, situated in the axil of the leaves, made up of three 

 or four whorls of scales, and set round at base with one or two 

 whorls of very minute sharp leaves. Each scale is shield-like, 

 rounded on one side, and pointed on the other, and protects 

 about four anthers. The fertile flowers are also axillary, on a 

 stout stalk invested with numerous minute, pointed scales, in 

 four rows. Each flower consists of three fleshy scales, adhering 

 at base, and separate only at the triangular points, within which 

 are three bottle-shaped bodies containing each a germ. The 

 fruit is a roundish, flattened berry, of a dark purple color, formed 

 of the enlarged, fleshy scales, whose points are marked by three 

 slight prominences, separated by as many lines meeting at a 

 common centre. Each berry contains three stony nuts, envel- 

 oped in a mealy substance nearly destitute of taste. 



The juniper seldom rises more than a foot or two from the 

 ground, but spreads extensively in every direction, sometimes 

 covering several acres of the surface of dry rocky hills, and 

 giving great trouble to the cultivator, as it is very difficult to 

 extirpate. It is commonly destroyed by burning, and little use 

 is made of the wood. 



