CHAPTER XIV: THE JUNIPERS 



Genus JUNIPERUS, Linn. 



Evergreen trees or shrubs with pungent sap, thin, ragged 

 bark, and shiort, much-divided ascending branches. Leaves usually 

 of two kinds, linear, spiny, free, in whorls of 3 at each joint, or 

 scale-like, blunt, in pairs, 2-ranked, opposite, and closely appresscd 

 to twigs. Flowers in small, inconspicuous aments, dioecious or 

 farely monoecious. Fruit berry-like, by coalescence of fleshy 

 scales; seeds i to 6, wingless, bony. Wood soft, close grained, 

 durable. 



KEY TO SPECIES 



A. Leaves free, 3 in a whorl, awl shaped, spiny ; flowers axillary; 

 berry bright blue with pale bloom; seeds 3. 



(/. communis) dwarf juniper 

 AA. Leaves appressed to twig, in threes or opposite, scale-like, 

 minute; flowers terminal; berry brown or dark blue; 

 seeds i to 12. 

 B. Berry large, brownish red, with dry, sweet flesh. 

 C. Seeds few or solitary. 



D. Fruit oblong, i to 2-seeded; leaves in threes; 

 twigs stout. ( /. Calijornica) California juniper 

 DD. Fruit round, i -seeded; leaves in twos or threes; 



twigs slender. {J. Uiahensis) utah juniper 

 CC. Seeds 4 to 12; berry with tubercles projecting. 

 D. Bark shed in thin, red, papery scales. 



(j. flaccida) drooping juniper 

 DD. Bark shed in squarish plates. 



(J. pachyphlosu) checker-barked juniper 

 BB. Berry small (except occidentalis), dark blue or black, 

 resinous, juicy; seeds i to 4. 

 C. Twigs slender, pendulous. 



D. Seed solitary, dark ashy grey. 



{J. monosperma) one-seeded juniper 

 DD. Seeds 2; berry flattened, J inch in diameter; 

 bark light reddish brown; twigs 4-arigled. 



(/. Barbadensis) southern red juniper 

 DDD. Seeds i to 4; berry round; bai'k brownish red, of 



loose scales. (J. sabinoides) moumtain juniper 

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