330 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



in this tree amounts to 70-80 per cent., resin, 15-30 per cent, volatile oil and 

 some pinene C 10 H 16 , a very important constituent; P. sylvestris, the source of 

 Russian turpentine ; P. pinaster, supplying the French turpentine ; P. heterophylla 

 and P. echinata, also turpentine trees; Loblolly Pine (P. Taeda} also containing 

 pinene; the Western Yellow Pine (P. ponderosa) occurring from mountains of 

 Colorado westward, a large tree 120 or more feet high, 4 or 5 feet in diameter, 

 branching widely, spreading or drooping, bark light red, leaves in 3's or rarely 

 2's, cones stout, dense, heavy, ovoid-conical, each scale with short recurved 

 prickle; the variety scopulorum of the last named species, found in the front 

 Rockies, a smaller tree with shorter leaves ; and Lodge Pole Pine (Finns con- 

 torta~), a tall straight tree, 80-120 feet high, and from 12 inches to 3 feet in 

 diameter, with conical head, thin, light grayish-brown bark, leaves 1-3 inches 

 long, light green, rigid, often persistent cones. This last named species occurs 

 from Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota to the Pacific coast and is closely 

 related to the Jack Pine (P. Banksiana) . 



Phenol and creosote oil are obtained from Pinus palustris and P. Taeda. 



Poisonous properties. Cattle and sheep do not usually graze upon the 

 leaves of conifers, but when forced to do so because of scarcity of fodder, 

 sheep will eat the leaves, which may produce injurious symptoms. According 

 to Friedberger and Frohner, plants containing turpentine are poisonous. Cho- 

 bert, in 1787, observed gastro-enteritis complicated by nephritis as a result of 

 grazing on leaves of conifers. The first named authors find symptoms of 

 haematuria, constipation, evacuation dry, and irritation of the kidneys. 



Juniperus, (Tourn.) L. Juniper 



Flowers dioecious or monoecious, in lateral catkins, staminate catkins 

 small, fertile catkins consisting of 3-6 fleshy scales; fruit appearing like a 

 berry; color of fruit bluish-black or blackish, frequently with white bloom; 

 seeds 1-3, wingless and bony. The /. Oxycedrus of the Mediterranean region 

 produces "oil of cedar." 



Juniperus communis. L. Common Juniper 



A shrub or small tree with spreading or pendulous branches; leaves rigid, 

 spreading; berries dark blue. The variety alpina, Gaud, is a low, decumbent, 

 or prostrate shrub with shorter, less-spreading leaves. It contains pinene and 

 cadinenc. The oil and fruits are used in the manufacture of gin. 



Distribution. From Nova Scotia to British Columbia, to Pennsylvania, 

 Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, and in the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico; 

 occurs also in Europe and Asia. The variety alpina is common in the mountains 

 of New Mexico northward, not, however, as widely distributed as the species. 



Juniperus virginiana. L. Red Cedar 



A shrub or tree extremely valuable, frequently from 60-90 feet high; pyra- 

 midal in form ; leaves scale-like, obtuse or acutish, dimorphic, the leaves of 

 young plants being more or less flattened, spiny, and awl-shaped, while those 

 of the stem are scale-like and appressed ; catkins terminal ; berries on straight 

 peduncles; cones light blue or glaucous. The Platte Cedar (/. scopulorum\ 

 differs from the other in the development of the seeds. 



Distribution. The Red Cedar occurs from New Brunswick to British 



