Scaly juniper
| Scaly juniper | ||||||||||||
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Scaled Juniper ( Juniperus squamata ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Juniperus squamata | ||||||||||||
| Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don |
The scaly juniper ( Juniperus squamata ) is a plant from the family of the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It is native to central and eastern Asia.
description
The scaly juniper grows as an evergreen , upright or prostrate shrub or small tree that can reach heights of up to 12 meters. The branches go up or straight from the trunk. The short, straight or curved branches are close to the branches.
The needle-shaped leaves are 2.5 to 10 millimeters long and 1 to 1.5 millimeters wide and are straight or slightly curved. They stand in three whorls on the branches and have white stomatal bands on the upper side of the leaf . There is a narrow furrow in the middle or at the base of the underside of the leaf. Its tip is pointed and the base of the leaf is sloping.
The male cones are egg-shaped with a diameter of 3 to 4 millimeters. They contain nine to twelve microsporophylls , each carrying three pollen sacs . The female berry cones are egg-shaped to approximately spherical with a length of 4 to 8 millimeters and a thickness of 4 to 6 millimeters. At maturity they are black to blue-black in color. Each peg bears a furrowed seed. The seeds are egg-shaped with a length of 3.5 to 6 millimeters and a width of 2 to 5 millimeters and have resin pits.
The number of chromosomes in var.fargesii is 2n = 22.
Distribution and location
The natural range of the scaled juniper is in central and eastern Asia. It stretches from Afghanistan and northern Pakistan in the west via Kashmir , northern India, China, Nepal and Bhutan to northern Myanmar , eastern China and the island of Taiwan in the east. In China, it occurs in southern Anhui , western Fujian , southern Gansu , eastern Guizhou , western Hubei , Shaanxi , Sichuan , Xizang and Yunnan .
In China, the scaly juniper thrives at altitudes of 1,600 to 4,500 meters. There it grows mainly in forests, thickets, in mountain valleys and along roads.
use
The wood of the scaly juniper is used as firewood and essential oils can be extracted from the plant parts . The species is also used as an ornamental wood.
Systematics
It was first described as Juniperus squamata in 1824 by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in A Description of the Genus Pinus , Volume 2, Page 17. Synonyms for Juniperus squamata Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don are Juniperus recurva var. squamata (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Parl. and Sabina squamata (Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don) Antoine .
The species can be divided into up to four varieties :
- Juniperus squamata var. Fargesii Rehder & EH Wilson grows as an upright or prostrate shrub or tree. The variety occurs in China in Huang Shan , in Liancheng Xian , in southern Gansu, in Jiangkou , in Taibai Shan as well as in Sichuan and Yunnan. It grows there at altitudes of 1600 to 4500 meters. Synonyms are Juniperus fargesii (Rehder & EH Wilson) Komarov , Juniperus kansuensis Komarov and Juniperus lemeeana > H. Léveillé & Blinovskij .
- Juniperus squamata var. Hongxiensis Y.F. Yu & LK Fu grows as a shrub. The variety occurs in Meigu in southern Sichuan, where it grows at altitudes of 3600 to 3700 meters.
- Juniperus squamata var. Parviflora Y.F. Yu & LK Fu grows as a shrub. The variety occurs in southwest Sichuan, where it grows at altitudes of 3200 to 3800 meters.
- Juniperus squamata var. Squamata is the nominate form and grows as a shrub. It occurs in almost the entire range at altitudes between 2300 and 4400 meters.
Hazard and protection
The scaly juniper is classified as “not endangered” in the IUCN Red List . It is pointed out, however, that a new review of the hazard is necessary.
literature
- Christopher J. Earle: Juniperus squamata. In: The Gymnosperm Database. conifers.org, November 28, 2012, accessed January 3, 2013 .
- Liguo Fu, Yong-fu Yu, Robert P. Adams, Aljos Farjon: Cupressaceae . Juniperus. In: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan (eds.): Flora of China . Cycadaceae through Fagaceae. Volume 4. Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 1999, ISBN 0-915279-70-3 , Juniperus squamata , pp. 73 (English, Juniperus squamata - this printed work is online with the same text).
Web links
- Thomas Meyer: Data sheet with identification key and photos at Flora-de: Flora von Deutschland (old name of the website: Flowers in Swabia )
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Liguo Fu, Yong-fu Yu, Robert P. Adams, Aljos Farjon: Cupressaceae . Juniperus. In: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan (eds.): Flora of China . Cycadaceae through Fagaceae. Volume 4. Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 1999, ISBN 0-915279-70-3 , Juniperus squamata , pp. 73 (English, Juniperus squamata - online - this printed work is online with the same text).
- ^ Tropicos. tropicos.org
- ↑ a b Juniperus squamata. In: Germplasm Resources Information Network. ars-grin.gov, accessed January 3, 2013 .
- ↑ Juniperus squamata. In: The Plant List. theplantlist.org, accessed January 3, 2013 .
- ↑ Juniperus squamata in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2012. Posted by: Conifer Specialist Group, 1998. Retrieved on January 3, 2013.