ii6 



The Junipers 



9. ROCK CEDAR Juniperus mexicana Sprengel 



Cupressus sabinoides H. B. & K. Juniperus sabinoides Nees, not Grisebach 



This tree often forms forests and dense brakes in the limestone hills of cen- 

 tral and western Texas and extends south- 

 ward to central Mexico. Its maximum 

 height is about 30 meters with a trunk diame- 

 ter of 3 dm. or more. It is also called Juni- 

 per cedar, Mountain cedar, Cedar, Mountain 

 juniper, and Juniper. 



The trunk is usually short, sometimes tall. 

 The branches are spreading, forming a conic 

 tree or one with a broad, round top. The 

 bark is 6 to 12 mm. thick, separating into 

 narrow, somewhat fibrous scales of a reddish 

 brown color. The slender twigs are sharply 

 4-sided, becoming round and light reddish 

 brown or gray and nearly smooth after the 

 leaves have fallen off. The leaves are oppo- 

 site, closely appressed, ovate, 1.5 mm. long, 

 blunt or sharp-pointed, slightly toothed on 

 the margin, usually glandless on the back; 

 on young plants and vigorous twigs they are 

 6 to 12 mm. long, stiff and long- pointed. The 

 flowers appear in January or February, the 

 staminate short-stalked and consist of 12 to 

 18 stamens, their connectives being ovate, 

 blunt, or slightly pointed. The pistillate flowers have thick, ovate, sharp-pointed, 

 spreading scales. The fruit is nearly globular, 6 to 8 mm. thick, dark blue and 

 glaucous; the tips of the flower scales are prominent on the young fruit, but the 

 mature fruit is very nearly or quite smooth, the flesh thin, sweet, and resinous; 

 seeds i or rarely 2, ovoid, about 6 mm. long, flattened on the inner face when 

 there are 2 in the fruit, sharp-pointed, prominently ridged, dark brown and shin- 

 ing; cotyledons 2. 



The wood is hard, weak, close-grained, and brown; its specific gravity is about 

 0.59. It is extensively used for general construction, fencing, sills, telegraph 

 poles, railroad ties, and is the chief fuel of the region in which it grows. 



Fig. 90. Rock Cedar. 



10. NORTHERN RED CEDAR Juniperus virginiana Linnaeus 



This well-known eastern tree is probably the largest of the American junipers, 

 reaching a maximum height of 30 meters, with a trunk diameter of 1.5 m., usually 

 having about half these dimensions and is sometimes a low shrub. It grows in 



