114 



The Jur ipers 



7. WESTERN JUNIPER Juniperus occidentaUs Hooker 



Juniperiis excelsa Pursh, not Bieberstein. Juniperus andina Nuttall 



A tree or shrub, often prostrate, of the mountains of Washington and Idaho, 

 south to the .San Bernardino Mountains of Cahfomia, mostly at altitudes of from 

 1800 to 3000 meters, reaching a maximum height of about 18 meters with a 

 trunk diameter of 9 dm.; low forms sometimes have trunks of much greater 

 diameter, however. It is also called Western red cedar. Western yellow cedar, 

 Cedar, and Juniper. 



The trunk varies from tall and straight to thick and stunted. The branches 



of stunted trees are very large and 

 usually widely spreading, forming 

 a round or flat head. The bark is 

 about I cm. thick, light brownish 

 red, shallowly fissured into wide 

 ridges, their surface broken into 

 shining scales. The twigs are stout, 

 becoming red-brown after the 

 leaves have falleti; their bark is 

 very thin. The leaves are light 

 green, w^horled in 3's, closely ap- 

 pressed, ovate, 2 mm. long, sharp 

 or taper-pointed, shghtly toothed on 

 the margin, distinctly glandular on 

 the back. The staminate flowers 

 are stalked, oblong, blunt, 3 mm. 

 long, consisting of 12 to 18 stamens 

 with broad connectives. The pistil- 

 late flowers consist of about 8 

 spreading ovate, sharp-pointed scales, surrounding several ovaries and subtended 

 by several smaller but similar sterile scales. The fruit is globose or somewhat 

 longer than thick, 6 to 8 mm. long, dark blue with a bloom and nearly or 

 quite smooth; its flesh is dry and resinous. The seeds, usually 2 or 3 in 

 number, are ovoid, about 3 mm. long, sharp-pointed, usually somewhat grooved 

 on the back, brown and shining above; cotyledons 2. 



The wood is soft, close-grained, and light red-brown; its specific gravity is 

 about 0.58. It is very durable and is used for railroad ties, fence-posts, and is 

 sparingly sawed into lumber, especially in Oregon. 



The Indians use its fruit, hke that of other western Junipers, for food. 



Fig. 88. Western Juniper. 



