66 



PINACEAE. 



Vol. I. 



i. Ju'niperus communis L. Juniper. Fig. 154. 



Juniperus communis L. Sp. PI. 1040. 1753. 



A low tree or erect shrub, sometimes attaining a 

 height of 30° and a trunk diameter of 12', usually smaller, 

 the branches spreading or drooping, the bark shreddy. 

 Leaves all subulate, rigid, spreading, or some of the 

 lower reflexed, mostly straight, prickly pointed, verticil- 

 late in 3's, often with smaller ones fascicled in their 

 axils, s"-io" long, less than 1" wide, channeled and 

 commonly whitened on the upper surface; aments axil- 

 lary; berry-like cones sessile or very nearly so, dark 

 blue, 3"-4" in diameter. 



On dry hills, Massachusetts to Alaska, south to New 

 Jersey, North Carolina, Michigan, western Nebraska and 

 in the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico. Ascends to 

 900 ft. in Pennsylvania. Also in Europe and Asia. The 

 fruit, called Melmot berries, is used for flavoring gin. 

 Called also Horse Savin, Hackmatack, Aiten. April-May. 

 Fruit ripe Oct. 



2. Juniperus sibirica Burgsd. Low Juniper. Fairy Circles. 



Juniperus sibirica Burgsd. Anleit. 2 : 124. 1787. 

 Juniperus nana Willd. Sp. PI. 4: 854. 1806. 

 7. communis depressa Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 646. 1814. 

 Juniperus communis var. alpina Gaud. FI. Helv. 6 : 

 301. 1830. 



A depressed or trailing rigid shrub, seldom over 18' 

 high, forming circular patches often io° in diameter. 

 Leaves similar to those of the preceding species, but 

 stouter, similarly channeled and often whitened above, 

 appressed-ascending, rather rigid, spiny tipped, 4"-6" 

 long, mostly incurved, densely clothing the twigs, 

 verticillate in 3's; aments axillary; berry-like cones 

 blue, 4"-s" in diameter. 



In dry, open places, Labrador to British Columbia, 

 south to Massachusetts, New York, Michigan and in the 

 Rocky Mountains to Colorado and Utah. Also in Europe 

 and Asia. Although the characteristic growth in a de- 

 pressed circular patch gives a very different aspect from 

 the true Juniper, the plant may, perhaps, be better re- 

 garded as a race of 7. communis L. April-May. 



3. Juniperus virginiana L. Red Cedar. Savin. Fig. 156. 



Juniperus virginiana L. Sp. PI. 1039. 1753. 



A tree, reaching a maximum height of about 100° 

 and a trunk diameter of 5°, conic when young, but the 

 branches spreading' in age so that the outline becomes 

 nearly cylindric. Leaves mostly opposite, all. those of 

 young plants and commonly some of those on the older 

 twigs of older trees subulate, spiny-tipped, 2"-^" long, 

 those of the mature foliage scale-like, acute or sub- 

 acute, closely appressed and imbricated, 4-ranked, caus- 

 ing the twigs to appear quadrangular ; aments terminal ; 

 berry-like cones light blue, glaucous, about 3" in diam- 

 eter, borne on straight peduncle-like branchlets of less 

 than their own length, 1-2-seeded, maturing the first 

 season. 



In dry soil, Nova Scotia to western Ontario and South 

 Dakota, south to Florida and Texas. Wood soft, not 

 strong, straight-grained, compact, odorous, red, the sap- 

 wood white ; weight per cubic foot 3 1 lbs. ; used in large 

 quantities in the manufacture of lead pencils. April-May. 

 Fruit ripe Sept.-Oct. Called also Red Savin or Juniper; 

 Juniper-bush, Carolina Cedar, Pencil-wood. 

 Juniperus scopulorum Sargent, the Rocky Mountain Red Cedar, which differs from J vir- 

 giniana mainly in maturing its fruit during the second season, has been reported from Nebraska 



