AMERICAN MEDICINAL PLANTS 



25 



COMMON JUNIPER 



Juniperus communis L. (Fig. 43.) 



Other common names. — Fairy circle, hackmatack, horse savin, gorst, aiten. 



Habitat and range. — The juniper occurs on dry, sterile hills from Canada 

 south to New Jersey, west to Nebraska, and in the Rocky Mountains to New 

 Mexico. 



Description. — Juniper is an evergreen shrub sometimes attaining the height 

 of a small tree, with erect trunk and spreading branches, covered with a shreddy 

 bark. The leaves are straight and rigid, awl-shaped, about one-fourth to one-half 

 an inch long, with sharp, prickly points. The male and female flowers produced 

 in April and May are usually borne on separate plants, the male flowers in short 

 catkins and the female flowers in short cones. The fleshy, berrylike fruit, which 

 does not ripen until the second year, is roundish, dark purple, covered with a 

 pale-bluish bloom and contains three bony seeds embedded in a brownish pulp. 

 It has a spicy, aromatic odor and a bitterish, turpentinelike taste. 



Part used. — The berries, for which there is only a limited demand, are collected 

 when ripe, usually in October. Oil of juniper is obtained from the berries by 

 distillation. 



Figure 43. — Common juniper (Juniperus 

 communis) 



Figure 44. — Common winterberry 

 (Ilex vertkillata) 



COMMON WINTERBERRY 



Ilex vertkillata (L.) A. Gray. ' (Fig. 44.) 



Synonym. — Prinos verticillata L. 



Other common names. — Prinos, winterberry, Virginia winterberry, black 

 alder, false alder, white alder, feverbush. 



Habitat and range. — This native shrub is found in swamps, moist woods, and 

 along banks of streams in Canada and the eastern United States, and westward 

 to Wisconsin and Missouri. 



Description. — Common winterberry is a shrub usually from 6 to 8 feet high 

 (sometimes much higher) with grayish bark and smooth twigs. The leaves are 

 from 2 to 3 inches long and about an inch wide. They are usually rather thick 

 and sharply toothed. In autumn the leaves turn black. The flowers, which 

 appear from May to July, are small and white, the male clusters consisting of 2 

 to 10 flowers and the female clusters of only 1 to 3. The bright-red, shining fruits, 

 about the size of a pea and each containing about six seeds, are clustered around 

 the stem. Branches and twigs of this plant with their bright-red berries are a 

 familiar sight during the Christmas season when they are much used for decora- 

 tive purposes. 



Part used. — The bark, and to a less extent the berries, collected in autumn. 

 In limited demand only. 



