IIajN"dbootc of Tbees of the X 



oirriiEnx Sta-|-es axd C'axada. 



47 



The Juniper tliough generally only an 

 humhle shrill) has the distinction of being the 

 most widely distributed tree of the northern 

 hemisphere. It is found not only ranging 

 over the greater part of tlie North American 

 continent but also central and northern Eu- 

 rope, and Asia as far south as nearly to the 

 Mediterranean and to the Himilayas, hut only 

 in very limited areas of tliis vast domain does 

 it become a tree; in America only on the hills 

 pf a few counties of southern Illinois. It 

 usuallj- sends out a cluster of stems close to 

 the ground and these curving upwards form a 

 flat ^a\ieer-sha]jcil bush, sometimes 20 ft. across 

 and only .S or 4 ft. high. When a tree it attains 

 the height of 20 or 30 ft. with an irregular 

 open head ami short trunk sometimes 10-12 in. 

 in diameter. 



Its wood is hard, but rather light and easily 

 worked, very close-grained, durahle and of a 

 light brown color with lighter sap-wood. In 

 Europe it is sometimes used for fuel and in 

 India burned as incense. In Europe its sweet- 

 ish fruit is used as an ingredient of gin. 



f^rnirs in whorls of .'!. spreading', '^-Mi in- 

 lon^, often cnrved, rigid with sharp tips, articulate 

 at base, lustrous dark green or bronze-green below, 

 snow.v whiti- witli l)ands of stomata atiove : buds 

 scaly. Floii'crs in late spring, axillary ; stami- 

 nate composed of ;" or 6 wliorls each of y> stamens 

 bearing broad connectives and .'-! or 4 anther-cells; 

 pistillate consisting of '■> ovules open at apex, 

 alternate, with .'! minute fleshy scales and sni-- 

 rounded with 5 cu' It whorls of ternate scales. 

 Fruit matures the third season, subglobose, about 

 1/4 in. in diameter, dark l)Ine with bloom, sweet 

 flesh and 1-.: bon.\- seeds which nre about Vs in. 

 long, angled, and penetrated with resin glands. 



