io6 



The Junipers 



and long- pointed; they turn red-brown and become dry after about three years. 

 The flowers open in spring; the staminate are oblong, with about 12 stamens, their 

 broad connectives red; the pistillate flowers are darker in color and composed of 

 several ovate spreading, pointed scales each bearing about four ovules. The cones, 



which ripen in the first 

 autumn, are abundantly pro- 

 duced on the upper twigs; 

 they are globose, about 10 

 mm. in diameter, reddish 

 brown, more or less glau- 

 cous, composed of 8 or 10 

 scales with a ridged flattish 

 or sunken apex tipped with 

 a short sharp conic projec- 

 tion; the seeds, of which 

 there are 2 to 4 under each 

 scale, are ovate, 3 mm. long, 

 slightly flattened, sharp- 

 ^.^ pointed, light brown, and 

 ^*^^ broadly winged. 

 f.^i'f^V I^W '^^^ wood is hard and 



*4 %^ \ strong, clear-grained, resi- 

 nous and satiny, pale yellow 

 to nearly white; its specific 

 gravity is about 0.46; it is very durable, easily worked, and takes a good polish, 

 and is largely used for interior finish of buildings and ships, also for fences, rail- 

 road ties, posts, and matches. The resin is strongly diuretic and is also used as 

 an insecticide. 



As an ornamental plant it is well known on the Pacific slope, and in Europe, 

 but it does not thrive well in the eastern States. 



Fig. 81. Port Orford Cedar. 



XIII. THE JUNIPERS 



GENUS JUNIPERUS (TOURNEFORT) LINN^US 



UNIPERS are mostly scaly-leaved, evergreen trees or shrubs of the 

 northern hemisphere, throughout which they are widely distributed 

 from the arctic circle southward to the West Indies, the Canary 

 islands, and the mountains of northern Africa, China and Japan. 

 About 40 species are known, of which 12 arborescent and about 4 shrubby species 

 occur in our area. They are of economic importance on account of the soft aro- 

 matic wood, which is greatly valued, especially in the manufacture of lead-pencils. 

 The bark is rich in tannic acid and is used in tanning leather. The volatile oil, 



