PINACEiE, OR CONIFERS. 



dividing into 4 valves. — Yields the resinous substance called Sandarach 

 from which is prepared the pounce employed in rendering parchment fit 

 to write upon. 



JUNIPERUS. 



Flowers dioecious, rarely monoecious, upon different branches. 

 2 Catkins axillary or subterminal, globose, very small. ? Cat- 

 kins axillary, ovate, imbricated, with bracts at the base. Scales 

 3-6, united at the base, and containing 1-3 ovules; which are 

 erect, perforated at the apex, and bottle-shaped. Fruit a galbu- 

 lus, consisting of the scales become succulent, and consoli- 

 dated into a drupe-like body. Seeds triquetrous. 



1178. J. communis Linn. sp. pi. 14-70. E. Bot. t. 1100. 

 Woodv. t. 95. Bigelow med. Bot. iii. t. 44. London Arb. et 



frut. 2489. — Europe, north of Asia, North America. (Ju- 

 niper.) 



A shrub, never attaining the height of a tree. Tips of the branches 

 smooth and angular. Leaves in threes, linear-acerose, sharply mucro- 

 nate, shining green on their lower surface, but with a broad glaucous 

 line through the centre of the upper ; they are always resupinate, and 

 turn their upper surface toward the ground. Barren flowers in small 

 axillary aments, with roundish, acute, stipitate scales, inclosing several 

 anthers. Fertile flowers on a separate shrub, having a small, 3-parted 

 involucre growing to the scales, which are 3 in number. Fruit fleshy, 

 roundish-oblong, berried, of a dark purplish colour, formed of the con- 

 fluent succulent scales, marked with 3 prominences or vesicles at top, 

 and containing 3 seeds ; it requires two seasons to arrive at maturity. 



The fruits, called Juniper berries, are analogous in operation to other 



terebinthinate substances. They promote the secretion of urine, in 

 large quantities produce irritation of the bladder and heat in the urinary 

 passages, are sudorific, carminative, and are supposed to stimulate 

 the uterus. They are sometimes used as a stimulating diuretic in many 

 forms of dropsy ; "Mr. Alexander says that the oil, in doses of 4 drops, 

 is the most powerful of all diuretics. They are also administered in 

 leucorrhcea, gonorrhoea, gleet, &c. 



1179. J. virginiana Linn. sp. pi. 1471. Bigelow med. bot. 

 iii. t. 45. Loudon Arb. et frut. Britt. 2495. — Barren soils in 

 the United States. (Red Cedar.) 



When fully grown a middling-sized tree. Trunk straight and de- 

 creasing rapidly from the ground, giving oft' many horizontal branches ; 

 its surface generally unequal, and disfigured by knots, and the crevices 

 and protuberances they occasion. Small twigs covered with minute, 

 densely imbricated leaves, which continue to increase in size as the 

 branches grow, till they are broken up and confounded with the rough 

 bark ; these leaves are fleshy, ovate, concave, rigidly acute, marked with 

 a small depressed gland on the middle of their outer side, growing in 

 pairs, which are united at base to each other, and to the pairs above 

 and below them. A singular variety sometimes appears in the young 

 shoots, especially those which issue from the base of the trees ; this 

 consists in an elongation of the leaves to 5 or 6 times their usual 



556 



