240 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERS 



Wood durable and sometimes prettily burred, but too scarce 

 to be of commercial importance. 



The tree is grown for decorative purposes in the British Isles 

 and succeeds in moist soil of various character, being specially 

 adapted for Umy formations. 



Juniperus communis, Linnaeus. (Fig. 55.) 

 Common Juniper. 



Ground Juniper. 



A shrub or small tree rarely attaining a height of 40 ft. 

 Bark reddish brown, scaling off in papery sheets. Young shoots 

 slender, triangular, with projecting ridges. Buds about | in. 

 long with acuminate scales. Leaves awl-shaped, persisting for 

 three years, sessile, spreading, |-:^ in. long, tapering from the 

 swollen base to a spine-like point, upper surface concave with a 

 broad white band of stomata, lower surface bluntly keeled. Male 

 and female flowers usually on different plants. Male flowers 

 sohtary, cyUndrical, ^ in. long, the yellow stamens in 5-6 whorls. 

 Female flowers sohtary, green, I'o in. long. Fruit ripening in the 

 second or third year, green when young, bluish or black when 

 ripe, covered with a waxy bloom ; globose or slightly longer than 

 broad, ^ in. in diameter, with 3 minute points at the top, the 3 

 scales of which the fruit is composed occasionally gaping and 

 exposing the seeds. Seeds 2-3 elongated, ovoid, three-cornered, 

 with depressions between. 



Var. compressa, Carriere. 



A very small cone-shaped bush, generally not more than 1 ft, 

 high, with short, crowded leaves, forming a dainty little shrub 

 peculiarly suitable for the rock-garden. 



Var. cracovia, Knight. 



A robust plant with pendulous, terminal branchlets. Said 

 to be of Pohsh origin and rare in cultivation. 



Var. echiniformis. 



Hedgehog Juniper. 



A rounded bush 1-2 ft. high, with densely crowded branches, 

 branchlets, and leaves. 



Var. hemisphaerica, Parlatore. 



Resembling var. nana in habit, but with longer leaves and 

 larger fruits. Recorded from Mount Etna, Calabria, Greece, and 

 Algeria. 



