JUNCUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



JUNIPERUS. 



523 



W. United States ; and /. Sieboldi, of 

 Japan ; besides several hybrids be- 

 tween the common Walnut and other 

 species. 



JUNCUS (Rush}. Water - side or 

 marsh plants, generally with long round 

 leaves. /. effusus spiralis is a very 

 singular plant, whose spreading tufts 

 of leaves, instead of growing straight, 

 are twisted in a cork-screw form. It 

 is worth cultivating on the margins 

 of water. It is easily multiplied by 

 division of the tufts. /. zebrinus is 

 apparently a form of the common 

 Rush (/. communis). The long round 

 leaves are barred with bands of yellow 

 and green, and it is a striking plant, 

 as its rigid habit and singular mark- 

 ings stand out in bold relief. 



JUNIPERUS. Evergreen shrubs 

 and medium - sized trees, natives 

 of northern and temperate countries. 

 The wood of some kinds is fragrant, 

 and the foliage contains an acrid 

 principle as in the Savin. The Juni- 

 pers vary much in size and habit in 

 their native countries owing to their 

 usually wide geographical range, and 

 to growing in all sorts and conditions 

 of soil and climate, so that, probably, 

 mere forms of varieties have been con- 

 sidered species. Some are too tender 

 for our' climate, although of much value 

 in their own, while others are quite 

 hardy and vigorous with us. Such 

 beauty as the hardy kinds possess is 

 very much diminished by the common 

 way of planting them among shrubs ; 

 or, in the case of the pmetum, isolating 

 in grass, both ways being against their 

 good effect and good cultivation even. 

 Where possible, the really effective 

 way is to group them. The good effect 

 of this is well seen in the case of the 

 common Savin, as indeed it would be 

 in most of the others, and where there 

 is no room to do this, and do them 

 justice, it would be better to leave 

 them out altogether, as, starving in 

 the embraces of the common British 

 shrubbery, they soon come to a bad 

 end. The following are, so far as we 

 know, the most distinct of the hardy 

 kinds only : 



J. CHINENSIS (The Winter-flowering 

 Juniper). A low tree or bush, hardy and 

 useful in gardens, as during winter or in 

 early spring, when covered with its yellow 

 male flowers, it is beautiful, and of the 

 easiest culture, succeeding well on loamy 

 soil ; several varieties are in cultivation. 

 /. Japonica is thought to be an alpine 

 form of this. 



J. COMMUNIS (The British Juniper). 

 Chiefly found growing in England on sandy 

 or chalky soils or on open downs, while 

 in Scotland its native home is amongst 

 the granite or trap on hill and mountain 

 sides. The Irish Juniper is a close erect 

 form, not confined to Ireland, but occur- 

 ring also wherever the Juniper is plentiful. 

 /. communis varies much in gardens, and 

 we often see forms of it where the wild 

 plant is never cultivated, though we doubt 

 if any of the varieties are better, if as 

 good. The Swedish and Canadian Jum- 

 pers are supposed to be varieties of this. 

 /. oxycedrus is the Mediterranean repre- 

 sentative of our common Juniper, but in 

 our climate it does not generally thrive. 



J. DRUPACEA (Plum-fruited Juniper). A 

 native of Syria and Asia Minor, on the 

 mountains there attaining a height of 

 some 15 feet. Thrives in gardens best 

 on good, well-drained soil. It has a close, 

 conical habit of growth, with branches of 

 a light grassy-green colour. This Juniper 

 makes a good tree for a lawn. The fruit 

 is a fleshy one, enclosing a hard kernel, 

 about the size of the Sloe, and of a plum- 

 like purple. 



J. EXCELSA (Tree Juniper). A graceful 

 tree native of many countries in Northern 

 India, Persia, 

 Arabia, and 

 Asia Minor, 

 in some of 

 the most 

 favourable 

 conditions 

 forming large 

 forests at 

 very high 

 elevations. 

 A close taper- 

 ing form was 

 sent out from 

 Messrs Rol- 

 lisson's nur- 

 series as /. 

 e. stricta, and 

 is a very 



glauCOUS and Juniperus drupacea, 



attra c tive 

 shrub. 



J. PHCENCEA (Phoenicea Juniper). A 

 shrub of conical form from the Mediter- 

 ranean region, the male and female 

 flowers on the same plant but on different 

 branches. Although long introduced to 

 our country it is as yet far from common. 



J. RECURVA (Weeping Juniper). A dis- 

 tinct kind with graceful drooping branches, 

 from the mountains of India and Cash- 

 mere, varying in size from a low bush to 

 a medium-sized tree according to climate 

 and soil. The male form is more close in 

 habit than the seed-bearing one. A 

 graceful kind for banks or the outer 

 flanks of the rock garden. At Bryn- 

 meirig, near the Penrhyn slate quarries, 

 there are a number of these graceful 



