HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES 83 



Antoine et Kotschy.) Northern Syria, Crete. 1854. 

 — In several respects this species must be con- 

 sidered as one of the most interesting of the 

 junipers. It is of bold, upright growth, with a 

 well-formed tree-like stem, and produces large 

 plum-like fruit, quite distinct from any other of 

 the family. The Syrian Juniper is often said to 

 be of slow and small growth, but in this country, 

 at least, such is not always the case, for a specimen 

 that has long been imder my observation has, in 

 thirty years, attained to a height of 21 feet, the 

 stem girthing 25 inches at one yard from the 

 ground. Perhaps the worst fault of this species of 

 juniper is the early loss of the lower branches after 

 a height of 12 feet or thereabouts is reached, and 

 this loss of branches is general, and it was notice- 

 able in every specimen that I know of. Usually 

 the habit of the Syrian Juniper is upright, not 

 stiffly so, but just sufficient to impart a neat appear- 

 ance to the tree. The branches incline upwards and 

 the branchlets slightly droop ; the foliage is thickly 

 produced — crowded, in fact. The leaves vary 

 much in length, according to their position, but 

 they are, for the greater part, three-quarters of an 

 inch long, stiff, sharp-pointed, and of a uniform 

 grey-green colour, and quite wanting in the various 

 tints of silver or frosted appearance possessed by 

 many species of juniper. The fruits are sparingly 

 produced even on old specimens ; but when in any 

 quantity, the tree has a beautiful appearance from 

 contrast between the large blue-black berries and 

 the light green foliage. The fruits are almost 

 spherical, except at the apex, which is deeply cleft 

 or indented, are fully three-quarters of an inch in 



