40 CHINESE ECONOMIC TREES 



JUNIPERUS 



Evergreen, aromatic trees or shrubs usually with thin, shreddy 

 bark. Leaves of mature plants acicular or awl-shaped, or short, scale- 

 like and closely appressed, arranged in whorls of 3's or opposite. Leaves 

 of seedlings and very young plants are always acicular or awl-shaped and 

 diverging at a wide angle from the twig, vigorous or diseased shoots of 

 scaly-leaved species also have acicular leaves in the juvenile stages. 

 Flowers small, dioecious, rarely monoecious. The staminate flowers 

 yellow, catkin-like, composed of numerous stamens, each bearing at the 

 base, 2-6 pollen sacs. Pistillate flowers small, ovoid, greenish, composed 

 of 3-6 pointed, fleshy scales which unite together to form a fleshy, berry- 

 like fruit. The minute, ovuliferous scales are either borne on the inner 

 surface of the fleshy flower-scales or alternate with them. The fruit is a 

 short-stalked, berry-like strobile or cone, usually enclosing the seeds, 1-6, 

 (rarely -12), subtended by several persistent scales at the base, ripening 

 the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year. 



About 40 species in the N. Hemisphere. About 6 species in E. 

 Asia. The junipers range from upright, pyramidal trees to low and 

 sometimes prostrate shrubs. The wood is reddish, close grained, fragrant 

 and durable, used for interior finish, for the manufacture of small 

 articles and for posts and poles. The American Juniperus virginiana 

 produces the bulk of the pencil wood. Several species yield a volatile 

 aromatic oil, which since the days of the early Greeks and Romans has 

 been employed in medicine as an ointment and also as a stimulant. 

 Propagated by seeds which should be stratified for one year, as in most 

 cases, they do not germinate until the second year. Also may be 

 increased by cuttings and grafting. 



Distinguished from Oupressus, to which it is closely allied, by the 

 small, berry-like fruits, and by the leaves which are stotnatiferous above, 

 those of Oupressus being stomatiferous on the under surface. 



Juniperus chinensis Linnaeus. 

 (TszePoh.) Chinese Juniper 



A very variable species, ranging from a low shrub to a tree 20 m. 

 tall. Bark brown, peeling off in long, narrow strips. Branches without 

 winter buds. Leaves dimorphic; on young plants and vigorous shoots 

 acicular, 8 mm. long, in whorls of 3's or in pairs, spreading, sharp 



