108 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
Sp. 2. Tse Junrer. J. communis. L. 
Figured in Dr. Bigelow’s Medical Botany ; III, Plate 44. 
The stem of the juniper is always completely prostrate upon 
the surface of the earth, ‘or sometimes just beneath, with the 
branches spreading in every direction, rooting and forming large 
beds. It is covered with a soft, reddish, scaly bark. The ex- 
tremities of the branches are slightly ascending. ‘The branch- 
lets are very short and horizontal, or curved downwards, with 
a yellowish green bark which afterwards turns brown, and 
with long, rounded protuberances between the leaves. ‘The 
leaves are in whorls of three, short, linear, sessile, rigid, curved 
at base, ending in a sharp point or bristle, concave towards the 
extremity of the branch, bright green on one side, and on the 
other, which, if the branch were erect, would be the upper side, 
white or glaucous along the middle. The barren and fertile 
flowers are on different plants. ‘The barren arc in short, soli- 
tary aments, situated in the axil of the leaves, made up of three 
or four whorls of scales, and set round at base with one or two 
whorls of very minute sharp leaves. Each scale is shield-like, 
rounded on one side, and pointed on the other, and protects 
about four anthers. The fertile flowers are also avyillary, ona 
stout stalk invested with numerous minute, pointed scales, in 
four rows. Each flower consists of three fleshy scales, adhering 
at base, and separate only at the triangular points, within which 
are three bottle-shaped bodies containing each a germ. The 
fruit is a roundish, flattened berry, of a dark purple color, formed 
of the enlarged, fleshy scales, whose points are marked by three 
sight prominences, separated by as many lines meeting at a 
common centre. Hach berry contains three stony nuts, envel- 
oped in a mealy substance nearly destitute of taste. 
The juniper seldom rises more than a foot or two from the 
sround, but spreads extensively in every direction, sometimes 
covering several acres of the surface of dry rocky hills, and 
giving great trouble to the cultivator, as it is very difficult to 
extirpate. It iscommonly destroyed by burning, and little use 
is made of the wood. 
