PINACEiE 231 



found in damp situations on the banks of streams. It is only 

 hardy in the very mildest parts of Britain and is very rarely 

 seen in gardens. It has no economic importance. 



Qard. Chron. xxvi, 489 (1899) ; Journ. Bot. xxxviii, 37 (1900). 



JUNIPERUS, Linnseus. 

 Junipers. 



A genus comprising about thirty-five species of evergreen 

 trees or shrubs distributed over the northern hemisphere from 

 the Arctic Circle to Mexico and the West Indies, Azores, Canary 

 Islands, N. Africa, Abyssinia, the mountains of E. Tropical Africa, 

 Himalaya, China, and Formosa. Bark usually thin and scaling 

 off in longitudinal strips. Leaves on young plants spreading 

 and awl-shaped ; on adult plants either awl-shaped and spreading 

 or closely pressed and scale-like. Male and fernale flowers on the 

 same or on separate trees. Male flowers composed of numerous 

 stamens on a central axis, with ovate or peltate scale-like con- 

 nectives, each bearing 2-6 globose pollen sacs. Female flowers 

 surrounded at the base by minute scale-like bracts, which persist 

 unchanged under the fruit, composed of 3-8 opposite or ternate, 

 pointed, united scales, which become fleshy and form a berry- 

 like fruit bearing one or more seeds. 



Wood fragrant, usually highly coloured, reddish or reddish 

 brown, easily worked, very durable, rarely injured by insects ; 

 useful for a wide range of purposes, one of the most important 

 uses of a N. American species being the manufacture of cases for 

 lead pencils. Oil is expressed by distillation from wood and 

 leaves. That from the wood is often used for perfumery, some- 

 times in medicine. Oil from the leaves and shoots is also used in 

 medicine. They have powerful diuretic properties and stock 

 should not be allowed to eat branches. 



The junipers give excellent results on limy soil, but they also 

 thrive in other good soil. Propagation is by seeds, cuttings, or 

 by grafting. Seeds often lie a year before germinating, though 

 at other times they may vegetate in a few weeks. Germination 

 may be hastened by soaking the seeds in hot water for a few 

 minutes before sowing. Cuttings are inserted in a close frame 

 in July or August and grafting is practised indoors in spring on 

 stocks previously established in pots. 



The compact columnar or pyramidal forms are excellent for 

 narrow avenues in formal gardens ; the spreading kinds make a 

 good covering for ground in semi-wild places, whilst those of 

 bushy habit may be used for hedges, as they withstand a good 

 deal of clipping. 



Several species, particularly J. cotmnunis and J. Sabina, are 

 sometimes seriously injured by fungus (species of Gyrjinosjjoran- 



