242 A HANDBOOK OF CONIFERiE 



Var. oblonga pendula, Loudon. ^ (Fig. 52.) 



A tree described as of graceful habit, the main branches 

 fastigiate and the points of the shoots pendulous. 



This name was first applied to a small plant 5 ft. high, growing 

 at Kew in 1838. An old tree 28 ft. high at Eastnor Castle, and a 

 smaller one at Bayfordbury planted in 1843, agree well with the 

 above description, and appear to us to belong to J. communis 

 rather than to J. formosana, to which Chinese species (probably 

 not introduced until 1844), they have hitherto been referred.^ 

 The latter has much narrower, longer, spine-tipped leaves. 



According to Wilson, ^ the plant cultivated in N. America 

 under the name of J. oblonga pendula is a variety of J. communis. 



Var. suecica, Alton. 



Var. fastigiata, Parlatore ; J. hibemica, Gordon ; J. hispanica, Booth. 



Strictly columnar in habit, with short, ascending branches, 

 short leaves, and oblong fruits. It is not uncommon in cultivation 

 and is found wild in Scandinavia and E. Prussia, where it is seen 

 as a tree 30-40 ft. high. At Westonbirt it is 25 ft. high. 



Var. variegata-aurea, Carrie re. 



Young shoots golden yellow, becoming green in the second 

 year. 



The common juniper has a wider distribution than any 

 other tree or shrub. It is common through N. and Cent. Europe 

 and also occurs in the mountains of the countries bordering on 

 the Mediterranean. It is also found in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, 

 Persia, Afghanistan, the W. Himalaya, the United States, and 

 Canada. On many chalk hills in the S. of England, the 

 juniper (which is one of our three indigenous conifers) is a con- 

 spicuous feature of the vegetation, whilst it is also abundant in 

 some parts of the N. of England, Wales, the Scottish High- 

 lands, and in Ireland. 



Although the wood is too small for building purposes, it is 

 used for fencing with very satisfactory results in some European 

 countries, and is also made into pails and other domestic articles. 

 The fruits are used for flavouring gin, though not to so great an 

 extent as formerly; in 1838 it was recorded that " the distillers 

 of Schiedam were formerly in the habit of carrying over annually 

 a shipload of juniper berries from Inverness, for the use of their 

 distilleries."^ An oil distilled from the unripe berries is used 

 for medicinal and flavouring purposes. The berries are also said 

 to be used with beechwood in the smoking of Westphahan hams 



^ Arb. et. Frut, Brit, iv, 2490, fig. 2345 (1838). 



«Elwes and Henry, loc. cit. vi, 1416 (1912). 



^Pl. Wils. ii, 57 (1914). 



*T. Thomson, Chemistry of Organic Bodies, 463 (1838). 



