Junipers are
conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
ous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family
Cupressaceae
Cupressaceae is a conifer family, the cypress family, with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27–30 genera (17 monotypic), which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130–140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdio ...
. Depending on the
taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
, south to tropical
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, throughout parts of
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
,
central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
southern Asia Southern Asia may refer to:
* South Asia, a geopolitical macroregion of SAARC countries
* Southern Asia, a geographical subregion in Asia spanning the Iranian Plateau and the Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the phy ...
, east to eastern
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
in the
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
, and in the mountains of
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
. The highest-known juniper forest occurs at an altitude of in southeastern
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
and the northern
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
, creating one of the highest
tree line
The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures, extreme snowp ...
s on earth.
Description
![Juniperus communis cones](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Juniperus_communis_cones.jpg)
Junipers vary in size and shape from tall
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
s, tall, to columnar or low-spreading
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s with long, trailing branches. They are
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
with needle-like and/or scale-like
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
. They can be either
monoecious
Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy.
Monoecy is conne ...
or
dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
. The female
seed cones
A conifer cone (in formal botanical usage: strobilus, plural strobili) is a seed-bearing organ on gymnosperm plants. It is usually woody, ovoid to globular, including scales and bracts arranged around a central axis, especially in conifers an ...
are very distinctive, with fleshy,
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
-like coalescing scales which fuse together to form
a berrylike structure (
galbulus A fleshy cone ( megastrobilus); chiefly relating to those borne by junipers and cypresses, and often mistakenly called a berry. These cones (galbuli) are formed by fleshy cone scales which accrete into a single mass under a unified epidermis
Th ...
), long, with one to 12 unwinged, hard-shelled
seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s. In some species, these "berries" are red-brown or orange, but in most, they are blue; they are often aromatic and can be used as a
spice
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...
. The seed maturation time varies between species from 6 to 18 months after pollination. The male cones are similar to the other
Cupressaceae
Cupressaceae is a conifer family, the cypress family, with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27–30 genera (17 monotypic), which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130–140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdio ...
, with 6 to 20 scales.
In
hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
s 7 through 10, junipers can bloom and release
pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
several times each year. Different junipers bloom in autumn, while most pollinate from early winter until late spring.
![Jun chin close](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Jun_chin_close.jpg)
Many junipers (e.g. ''
J. chinensis
''Juniperus chinensis'', the Chinese juniper (圆柏, 桧) is a species of plant in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to China, Myanmar, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East. Growing tall, it is a very variable coniferous evergreen tree ...
'', ''
J. virginiana'') have two types of leaves; seedlings and some twigs of older trees have needle-like leaves long, on mature plants the leaves are overlapping like (mostly) tiny scales, measuring . When juvenile foliage occurs on mature plants, it is most often found on shaded shoots, with adult foliage in full sunlight. Leaves on fast-growing 'whip' shoots are often intermediate between juvenile and adult.
In some species (e.g. ''
J. communis
''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...
'', ''
J. squamata''), all the foliage is of the juvenile needle-like type, with no scale leaves. In some of these (e.g. ''J. communis''), the needles are jointed at the base, while in others (e.g. ''J. squamata''), the needles merge smoothly with the stem.
The needle leaves of junipers are hard and sharp, making the juvenile foliage very prickly to handle. This can be a valuable identification feature in seedlings, as the otherwise very similar juvenile foliage of cypresses (''
Cupressus
''Cupressus'' is one of several genera of evergreen conifers within the family Cupressaceae that have the common name cypress; for the others, see cypress. It is considered a polyphyletic group. Based on genetic and morphological analysis, the ge ...
,
Chamaecyparis
''Chamaecyparis'', common names cypress or false cypress (to distinguish it from related cypresses), is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia (Japan and Taiwan) and to the western and eastern margins of th ...
'') and other related genera are soft and not prickly.
Junipers are
gymnosperm
The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, ''Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, γυμνό ...
s, which means they have seeds, but no flowers or fruits. Depending on the species, the seeds they produce take 1–3 years to develop. The impermeable coat of the seed keeps water from getting in and protects the embryo when dispersed. It can also result in a long
dormancy
Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be clo ...
that is usually broken by physically damaging the seed coat. Dispersal can occur from being swallowed whole by frugivores and mammals. The resistance of the
seed coat
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm pl ...
allows it to be passed down through the digestive system without being destroyed along the way. These seeds last a long time, as they can be dispersed long distances over the course of a few years.
Classification
Sections
The genus has been divided into sections in somewhat different ways. A system based on
molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
data from 2013 and earlier used three sections:
* Section ''Caryocedrus'' – 1 species with large, blue, woody, 3-seeded cones; native to the Mediterranean
* Section ''Juniperus'' – 14 species with blue or red seed cones, often with 3 seeds; 12 species native to the
eastern hemisphere
The Eastern Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth which is east of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and west of the antimeridian (which crosses the Pacific Ocean and relatively little land from pole to pol ...
, one endemic to North America, and one species, ''J. communis'', circumboreal
* Section ''Sabina'' – about 60 species with variously coloured seed cones with 1 to 13 seeds; species about equally divided between the eastern and western hemispheres ''Juniperus'' sect. ''Sabina'' was further divided into clades.
[
A new classification of gymnosperms published in 2022 recognised the sections as three separate genera: ''Arceuthos'' for section ''Caryocedrus'', ''Sabina'' for section ''Sabina'', and ''Juniperus'' ''sensu stricto'' for section ''Juniperus''.
]
Species
''Juniperus'' sect. ''Caryocedrus''
One species:
*''Juniperus drupacea
''Juniperus drupacea'', the Syrian juniper, is a species of juniper native to the eastern Mediterranean region from southern Greece (Parnon Oros, Peloponnese), southern Turkey, western Syria, and Lebanon, growing on rocky sites from in altitude. ...
'' – Syrian juniper
''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus''
Needle-leaf junipers; the adult leaves are needle-like, in whorls of three, and jointed at the base. Species:
*''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus'' subsect. ''Juniperus'' – cones with 3 separate seeds; needles with one stomatal band
**''Juniperus communis
''Juniperus communis'', the common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. An evergreen conifer, it has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the coo ...
'' – common juniper
***''Juniperus communis'' subsp. ''alpina'' – alpine juniper
**''Juniperus conferta
''Juniperus conferta'' (shore juniper and blue pacific juniper) is a species of juniper, native to Japan, where it grows on sand dunes. It is often treated as a variety or subspecies of ''Juniperus rigida''.Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupre ...
'', syn. ''Juniperus rigida'' var. ''conferta'' (Parl.) Patschke – shore juniper
**''Juniperus rigida
''Juniperus rigida'', the temple juniper, is a species of juniper, native to northern China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and the far southeast of Russia (Sakhalin and Primorsky Krai), occurring at altitudes of . The species is also naturalized in th ...
'' – Temple juniper or needle juniper
*''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus'' subsect. ''Oxycedrus'' – cones with 3 separate seeds; needles with two stomatal bands
**''Juniperus brevifolia
''Juniperus brevifolia'', the Azores juniper, is a species of juniper, endemic to the Azores (on Corvo, Faial, Flores, Pico, Santa Maria, São Jorge, São Miguel, and Terceira), where it occurs at altitudes of , rarely up to . It is closely ...
'' – Azores juniper
**''Juniperus cedrus
''Juniperus cedrus'', the Canary Islands juniper, is a species of juniper, native to the western Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Gomera) and Madeira (''J. cedrus'' Webb & Berthel. subsp. ''maderensis'' (Menezes) Rivas Mart ''et ...
'' – Canary Islands juniper
**''Juniperus formosana
''Juniperus formosana'', the Formosan juniper, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is a shrub or tree to tall, found in China (from Tibet in the west to Zhejiang in the east) and in Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republ ...
'' – Chinese prickly juniper
**''Juniperus lutchuensis
''Juniperus lutchuensis'' or ( syn. ''Juniperus taxifolia'' var. ''lutchuensis'' (Koidz.) Satake) is a species of juniper native to the Ryūkyū Islands, Izu Islands, Izu Peninsula, and Bōsō Peninsula, Japan.Adams, R. P. (2004). ''Junipers of t ...
'', syn. ''Juniperus taxifolia'' var. ''lutchuensis'' (Koidz.) Satake – Ryukyu juniper
**''Juniperus oxycedrus
''Juniperus oxycedrus'', vernacularly called Cade, cade juniper, prickly juniper, prickly cedar, or sharp cedar, is a species of juniper, native across the Mediterranean region from Algeria and Portugal, north to southern France, east to westernm ...
'' – Western prickly juniper, cade juniper
**''Juniperus macrocarpa
''Juniperus macrocarpa'' (large-fruited juniper, syn. ''J. oxycedrus'' subsp. ''macrocarpa'' (Sibth. & Sm.) Ball) is a species of juniper, native across the northern Mediterranean region from southwestern Spain east to western Turkey and Cyprus, ...
'' – large-berry juniper
*''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus'' subsect. ''Caryocedrus'' – cones with 3 seeds fused together; needles with two stomatal bands
''Juniperus'' sect. ''Sabina''
Scale-leaf junipers; adult leaves are mostly scale-like, similar to those of ''Cupressus
''Cupressus'' is one of several genera of evergreen conifers within the family Cupressaceae that have the common name cypress; for the others, see cypress. It is considered a polyphyletic group. Based on genetic and morphological analysis, the ge ...
'' species, in opposite pairs or whorls of three, and the juvenile needle-like leaves are not jointed at the base (including in the few that have only needle-like leaves; see below right).
= Old World species
=
*''Juniperus chinensis
''Juniperus chinensis'', the Chinese juniper (圆柏, 桧) is a species of plant in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to China, Myanmar, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East. Growing tall, it is a very variable coniferous evergreen tree ...
'' – Chinese juniper
*''Juniperus convallium
''Juniperus convallium'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is a tree that is found only in the mountains of the Chinese provinces of Tibet, Qinghai, and Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alte ...
'' – Mekong juniper
*''Juniperus excelsa
''Juniperus excelsa'', commonly called the Greek juniper, is a juniper found throughout the eastern Mediterranean, from northeastern Greece and southern Bulgaria across Turkey to Syria and Lebanon, Jordan, the Caucasus mountains, and southern c ...
'' – Greek juniper
*''Juniperus foetidissima
''Juniperus foetidissima'', with common names foetid juniper or stinking juniper, is a juniper tree species in the family Cupressaceae.
Description
''Juniperus foetidissima'' is a medium-sized tree reaching tall, with a trunk up to in diameter ...
'' – stinking juniper
*''Juniperus indica
''Juniperus indica'', the black juniper, is a juniper native to high-altitude climates in the Himalaya, occurring in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China.
It is of interest as the highest elevation woody plant known, reported growing as high ...
'' – Himalayan black juniper
*''Juniperus komarovii
''Juniperus komarovii'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is found only in China.
References
External links
*
komarovii
Near threatened plants
Endemic flora of China
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{c ...
'' – Komarov's juniper
*''Juniperus phoenicea
''Juniperus phoenicea'', the Phoenicean juniper or Arâr, is a juniper found throughout the Mediterranean region.
Description
''Juniperus phoenicea'' is a large shrub or small tree reaching tall, with a trunk up to in diameter and a rounded o ...
'' – Phoenicean juniper
*''Juniperus pingii
''Juniperus pingii'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. Commonly used in bonsai
Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional C ...
'' – Ping juniper
*''Juniperus procera
''Juniperus procera'' (known by the common English names African juniper, African pencil-cedar, East African juniper, East African-cedar, and Kenya-cedar) is a coniferous tree native to mountainous areas in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is ...
'' – East African juniper
*''Juniperus procumbens
''Juniperus procumbens'' is a species of shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to Japan. This low-growing evergreen conifer is closely related to the Chinese juniper, ''Juniperus chinensis'', and is sometimes treated as a variety of it ...
'' – Ibuki juniper
*''Juniperus pseudosabina
''Juniperus pseudosabina'', the Turkestan juniper or dwarf black juniper is a species of juniper.
Description
''Juniperus pseudosabina'' is variable in shape, growing as a shrub or small tree, reaching tall. The leaves are of two forms, juveni ...
'' – Xinjiang juniper
*''Juniperus recurva
''Juniperus recurva'', commonly named the Himalayan juniper or drooping juniper, is a juniper native to the Himalaya, from northern Pakistan, through India, Nepal and Bhutan, to western Yunnan in southwestern China. It grows at altitudes of .
De ...
'' – Himalayan juniper
*''Juniperus sabina
''Juniperus sabina'', the savin juniper or savin, is a species of juniper native to the mountains of central and southern Europe and western and central Asia, from Spain to eastern Siberia, typically growing at altitudes of .Farjon, A. (2005). ' ...
'' – Savin juniper
*''Juniperus saltuaria
''Juniperus saltuaria'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is endemic to southern China and Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the ...
'' – Sichuan juniper
*''Juniperus semiglobosa
''Juniperus semiglobosa'', the Himalayan pencil juniper, is a species of juniper native to the mountains of Central Asia, in northeastern Afghanistan, westernmost China (Xinjiang), northern Pakistan, southeastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, western N ...
'' – Himalayan pencil juniper
*''Juniperus seravschanica
''Juniperus seravschanica'' is a species of juniper. Common names include Pashtun juniper ( ps, اوبښته ''ōbəx̌ta'', " specieswhich sucks water"; Pashto: پښتني صنوبر).
It ranges from southernmost Kazakhstan through Kyrgyzstan, ...
'' – Pashtun juniper
*''Juniperus squamata
''Juniperus squamata'', the flaky juniper, or Himalayan juniper is a species of coniferous shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to the Himalayas and China.
It represents the provincial tree of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (unofficial).
Desc ...
'' – flaky juniper
*''Juniperus thurifera
''Juniperus thurifera'' (Spanish juniper) is a species of juniper native to the mountains of the western Mediterranean region, from southern France (including Corsica) across eastern and central Spain to Morocco and locally in northern Algeria. ...
'' – Spanish juniper
*''Juniperus tibetica
''Juniperus tibetica'', the Tibetan juniper, is a species of juniper, native to western China in southern Gansu, southeastern Qinghai, Sichuan, and Tibet Autonomous Region, where it grows at high to very high altitudes of . This species has t ...
'' – Tibetan juniper
= New World species
=
*''Juniperus angosturana
''Juniperus angosturana'', or slender oneseed juniper, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae.
Distribution
The tree is endemic to north-eastern Mexico. '' – Mexican one-seed juniper
*''Juniperus ashei
''Juniperus ashei'' (Ashe juniper, mountain cedar, blueberry juniper, post cedar, or just cedar) is a drought-tolerant evergreen tree, native from northeastern Mexico and the south-central United States to southern Missouri. The largest areas are ...
'' – Ashe juniper
*''Juniperus arizonica
''Juniperus arizonica'', the Arizona juniper, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae, native to the Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern ...
'' – redberry juniper, roseberry juniper
*''Juniperus barbadensis
''Juniperus barbadensis'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae.
It is native to the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia. It was formerly found on Barbados and Hispaniola (Haiti), but is now extirpated from there.
References
...
'' – West Indies juniper
*''Juniperus bermudiana
''Juniperus bermudiana'' is a species of juniper endemic to Bermuda. This species is most commonly known as Bermuda cedar, but is also referred to as Bermuda juniper ( Bermudians refer to it simply as ''cedar''). Historically, this tree formed w ...
'' – Bermuda juniper
*''Juniperus blancoi
''Juniperus blancoi'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is endemism, endemic to Mexico.
References
Juniperus, blancoi
Endemic flora of Mexico
Flora of Central Mexico
Trees of Durango
Taxonomy articles created by Pol ...
'' – Blanco's juniper
*''Juniperus californica
''Juniperus californica'', the California juniper, is a species of juniper native to southwestern North America.
Description
''Juniperus californica'' is a shrub or small tree reaching , but rarely up to tall. The bark is ashy gray, typically ...
'' – California juniper
*''Juniperus coahuilensis
''Juniperus coahuilensis'', commonly known as redberry juniper, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae.
Description
''Juniperus coahuilensis'' grows as a large shrubby tree up to tall. It is usually multi-trunked.[Juniperus comitana
''Juniperus comitana'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae found in Guatemala and Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordere ...]
'' – Comitán juniper
*''Juniperus deppeana
''Juniperus deppeana'' (alligator juniper or checkerbark juniper) is a small to medium-sized tree reaching in height. It is native to central and northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.
Description
The tree reaches , rarely , in he ...
'' – alligator juniper
*''Juniperus durangensis
''Juniperus durangensis'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae.
It is endemism, endemic to Mexico, in the states of Aguascalientes, Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, Sonora, Zacatecas.
References
Current IUCN Red Li ...
'' – Durango juniper
*''Juniperus flaccida
''Juniperus flaccida'' (drooping juniper, weeping juniper or Mexican juniper; Native American names include ''tláscal'') is a large shrub or small tree reaching (rarely to 15 m) tall. It is native to central and northern Mexico (from Oaxaca no ...
'' – Mexican weeping juniper
*''Juniperus gamboana
''Juniperus gamboana'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico, where it is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by wh ...
'' – Gamboa juniper
*''Juniperus grandis
''Juniperus grandis'', known as Sierra juniper, Sierra western juniper, and western juniper, is a tree or tall shrub that is endemic to the Western United States. It is sometimes considered a variety or subspecies of ''Juniperus occidentalis'', w ...
'' – Sierra juniper
*''Juniperus horizontalis
''Juniperus horizontalis'', the creeping juniper or creeping cedar,Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. ''Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada''. Macm ...
'' – creeping juniper
*''Juniperus jaliscana
''Juniperus jaliscana'', known commonly as the Jalisco juniper, is a species of conifer in the cypress family, Cupressaceae.[Juniperus maritima
''Juniperus maritima'' is a species of juniper known by the common name seaside juniper. It is native to the central Salish Sea region in southwestern British Columbia and northwestern Washington, where it is an endemic species and is abundant on ...]
'', syn. ''Juniperus scopulorum'' – seaside juniper
*''Juniperus monosperma
''Juniperus monosperma'' is a species of juniper native to western North America, in the United States in Arizona, New Mexico, southern Colorado, western Oklahoma ( Panhandle), and western Texas, and in Mexico in the extreme north of Chihuahua. ...
'' – one-seed juniper
*''Juniperus monticola
''Juniperus monticola'', or mountain juniper, is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae.
It is found only in Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, ...
'' – mountain juniper
*''Juniperus occidentalis
''Juniperus occidentalis'', known as the western juniper, is a shrub or tree native to the Western United States, growing in mountains at altitudes of and rarely down to . It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because it is a widesp ...
'' – western juniper
*''Juniperus osteosperma
''Juniperus osteosperma'' (Utah juniper; syn. ''J. utahensis'') is a shrub or small tree native to the southwestern United States.
Description
The plant reaches , rarely to 9 m, tall. The shoots are fairly thick compared to most junipers, in ...
'' – Utah juniper
*''Juniperus pinchotii
''Juniperus pinchotii'', commonly known as Pinchot juniper or redberry juniper, is a species of juniper native to south-western North America, in Mexico: Nuevo León and Coahuila, and in the United States: south-eastern New Mexico, central Texa ...
'' – Pinchot juniper
*''Juniperus saltillensis
''Juniperus saltillensis'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae.
The shrub or bushy tree is endemic to northern Mexico, in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Zacatecas.
It is sometimes an understorey shrub in piny ...
'' – Saltillo juniper
*''Juniperus scopulorum
''Juniperus scopulorum'', the Rocky Mountain juniper, is a species of juniper native to western North America, from southwest Canada to the Great Plains of the United States.
Description
''Juniperus scopulorum'' is a small evergreen conifer ...
'' – Rocky Mountain juniper
*''Juniperus standleyi
''Juniperus standleyi'' is a species of juniper native to Guatemala and the adjacent extreme southeast of Mexico (Volcán Tacaná in Chiapas), where it occurs at elevations of .Adams, R. P. (2004). ''Junipers of the World''. Trafford. Farjon, A. ...
'' – Standley's juniper
*''Juniperus virginiana
''Juniperus virginiana'', also known as red cedar, eastern red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, and other local names, is a species of juniper native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico a ...
'' – eastern juniper, eastern redcedar
**''Juniperus virginiana'' subsp. ''silicicola'' – Southern juniper
*''Juniperus zanonii
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
'' (proposed)
Additional species
, Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
accepts the following additional species to those listed above:
*''Juniperus canariensis
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
'' Guyot & Mathou
*''Juniperus coxii
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
'' A.B.Jacks.
*''Juniperus deltoides
''Juniperus oxycedrus'', vernacularly called Cade, cade juniper, prickly juniper, prickly cedar, or sharp cedar, is a species of juniper, native across the Mediterranean region from Algeria and Portugal, north to southern France, east to westernm ...
'' R.P.Adams
*''Juniperus gracilior
''Juniperus gracilior'' is a species of conifer in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, where there are localized populations in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Common names
Its Spanish-la ...
'' Pilg.
*''Juniperus mairei
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...
'' Lemée & H.Lév.
*''Juniperus morrisonicola
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...
'' Hayata
*''Juniperus mucronata
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
'' R.P.Adams
*'' Juniperus navicularis'' Gand.
*''Juniperus poblana
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
'' (Martínez) R.P.Adams
*''Juniperus polycarpos
''Juniperus polycarpos'', commonly known as Persian juniper, is species of juniper native to western Asia.
Some authorities classify it as a subspecies or variety of ''Juniperus excelsa''."''Juniperus polycarpos''". ''The Plant List''. Accessed ...
'' K.Koch
*''Juniperus przewalskii
''Juniperus przewalskii'', or Przewalski's juniper, is a species of juniper native to the mountains of western China in Gansu, Qinghai, and northernmost Sichuan, growing at altitudes of 1,000-3,300 m.Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae ...
'' Kom.
*''Juniperus saxicola
''Juniperus saxicola'' is a species of conifer in the family Cupressaceae.
It is found only in Cuba.
This is one of about 40 species in ''Juniperus'' section ''Sabina'', and one of four closely related species of Caribbean junipers (the others a ...
'' Britton & P.Wilson
*''Juniperus taxifolia
''Juniperus taxifolia'' (Bonin Islands juniper; Japanese language, Japanese: シマムロ ''Shimamuro'') is a species of juniper, endemism, endemic to the Bonin Islands southeast of Japan.Adams, R. P. (2004). ''Junipers of the World''. Trafford. ...
'' Hook. & Arn.
*'' Juniperus tsukusiensis'' Masam.
*''Juniperus turbinata
''Juniperus turbinata'' is a woody plant in the family Cupressaceae. The species was previously treated as part of ''Juniperus phoenicea'', which is now regarded as restricted to Spain and France, whereas ''J. turbinata'' is found from Macar ...
'' Guss.
Ecology
Juniper plants thrive in a variety of environments. The junipers from Lahaul
The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul () and Spiti (; or ). The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were merged, ...
valley can be found in dry, rocky locations planted in stony soils. Grazing animals and the villagers are rapidly using up these plants. There are several important features of the leaves and wood of this plant that cause villagers to cut down these trees and make use of them. Additionally, the western juniper
''Juniperus occidentalis'', known as the western juniper, is a shrub or tree native to the Western United States, growing in mountains at altitudes of and rarely down to . It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because it is a widesp ...
plants, a particular species in the juniper genus, are found in woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...
s where there are large, open spaces. Junipers are known to encompass open areas so that they have more exposure to rainfall. Decreases in fires and a lack of livestock grazing are the two major causes of western juniper takeover. This invasion of junipers is driving changes in the environment. For instance, the ecosystem for other species previously living in the environment and farm animals has been compromised. When junipers increase in population, there is a decrease in woody species like mountain big sagebrush
Sagebrush is the common name of several woody and herbaceous species of plants in the genus ''Artemisia''. The best known sagebrush is the shrub ''Artemisia tridentata''. Sagebrushes are native to the North American west.
Following is an alph ...
and aspen
Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the ''Populus'' genus.
Species
These species are called aspens:
*'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China ...
. Among the juniper trees themselves, there is increased competition, which results in a decrease in berry production. Herbaceous cover decreases, and junipers are often mistaken for weeds. As a result, several farmers have thinned the juniper trees or removed them completely. However, this reduction did not result in any significant difference on wildlife survival. Some small mammals found it advantageous to have thinner juniper trees, while cutting down the entire tree was not favorable.
Some junipers are susceptible to ''Gymnosporangium
''Gymnosporangium'' is a genus of heteroecious plant-pathogenic fungi which alternately infect members of the family Cupressaceae, primarily species in the genus ''Juniperus'' (junipers), and members of the family Rosaceae in the subfamily Amygd ...
'' rust disease and can be a serious problem for those people growing apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
trees, an alternate host
A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it.
Host may also refer to:
Places
* Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County
People
*Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman
* Michel Host ...
of the disease.
Juniper is the exclusive food plant of the larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e of some moths and butterflies, including ''Bucculatrix inusitata
''Bucculatrix inusitata'' is a moth in the family Bucculatricidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Quebec, Ontario, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. It was described in 1963 by Annette Frances B ...
'', juniper carpet
The juniper carpet (''Thera juniperata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found throughout Europe and the Near East, but is rather uncom ...
, ''Chionodes electella
''Chionodes electella'' is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in almost all of Europe (except Ireland, Great Britain and the Balkan Peninsula). In the east, the range extends to the southern Ural.
The wingspan
The wingspan (or ju ...
'', ''Chionodes viduella
''Chionodes viduella'' is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Baltic region and Russia. It is also found in nor ...
'', juniper pug
The juniper pug or juniper looper (''Eupithecia pusillata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. It is found throughout the Palearctic and in the Nearctic.
Sub ...
, and pine beauty
The pine beauty (''Panolis flammea'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a common species of pine woods in Europe. The distribution area extends from the west of Catalonia over southern France, central Italy, central Europe to western Si ...
. Those of the tortrix moth
The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus ...
''Cydia duplicana
''Cydia duplicana'' is a small moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in all across Europe, extending barely into Asia in the Transcaucasus, Turkestan and Kazakhstan.
The wingspan is 13–19 mm. Adults are on wing from May or June to ...
'' feed on the bark around injuries or canker
A plant canker is a small area of dead tissue, which grows slowly, often over years. Some cankers are of only minor consequence, but others are ultimately lethal and therefore can have major economic implications for agriculture and horticultur ...
.
Cultivation
Junipers are among the most popular conifers to be cultivated as ornamental Ornamental may refer to:
*Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration
*Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work
*Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...
subjects for parks and gardens. They have been bred over many years to produce a wide range of forms, in terms of colour, shape and size. They include some of the dwarfest (miniature) cultivars. They are also used for bonsai
Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...
. Some species found in cultivation include:
*''Juniperus chinensis
''Juniperus chinensis'', the Chinese juniper (圆柏, 桧) is a species of plant in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to China, Myanmar, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East. Growing tall, it is a very variable coniferous evergreen tree ...
''
*''Juniperus communis
''Juniperus communis'', the common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. An evergreen conifer, it has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the coo ...
''
*''Juniperus horizontalis
''Juniperus horizontalis'', the creeping juniper or creeping cedar,Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. ''Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada''. Macm ...
''
*''Juniperus'' × ''pfitzeriana''
*''Juniperus procumbens
''Juniperus procumbens'' is a species of shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to Japan. This low-growing evergreen conifer is closely related to the Chinese juniper, ''Juniperus chinensis'', and is sometimes treated as a variety of it ...
''
*''Juniperus rigida
''Juniperus rigida'', the temple juniper, is a species of juniper, native to northern China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and the far southeast of Russia (Sakhalin and Primorsky Krai), occurring at altitudes of . The species is also naturalized in th ...
''
*''Juniperus scopulorum
''Juniperus scopulorum'', the Rocky Mountain juniper, is a species of juniper native to western North America, from southwest Canada to the Great Plains of the United States.
Description
''Juniperus scopulorum'' is a small evergreen conifer ...
''
*''Juniperus squamata
''Juniperus squamata'', the flaky juniper, or Himalayan juniper is a species of coniferous shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to the Himalayas and China.
It represents the provincial tree of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (unofficial).
Desc ...
''
Toxicity
In drier areas, juniper pollen easily becomes airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs. This pollen can also irritate the skin and cause contact dermatitis. Cross-allergenic reactions are common between juniper pollen and the pollen of all species of cypress
Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...
.
Monoecious juniper plants are highly allergenic, with an Ogren Plant Allergy Scale
The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) is an allergy rating system for plants that measures the potential of a plant to cause allergic reactions in humans.
Scale system
The OPALS allergy scale was first published in ''Allergy-Free Gardening'', b ...
(OPALS) rating of 9 out of 10. Completely male juniper plants have an OPALS rating of 10, and release abundant amounts of pollen. Conversely, all-female juniper plants have an OPALS rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting".
Uses
Ethnic and herbal use
Most species of juniper are flexible and have a high compression strength-to-weight ratio. This has made the wood a traditional choice for the construction of hunting bows among some of the Native American cultures in the Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic basin, endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California ...
region. These bow staves are typically backed with sinew to provide tension strength that the wood may lack.
Ancient Mesopotamians believed that juniper oil could be used to ward off the evil eye
The Evil Eye ( grc, ὀφθαλμὸς βάσκανος; grc-koi, ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός; el, (κακό) μάτι; he, עַיִן הָרָע, ; Romanian: ''Deochi''; it, malocchio; es, mal de ojo; pt, mau-olhado, olho gordo; ar ...
.
Embalming vessels in the burial chambers from a 26th Dynasty embalming workshop at Saqqara have shown the usage of Juniper oil/tar.
Some Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples.
Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...
use juniper in traditional medicine
Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...
; for instance the Dineh (Navajo), who use it for diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
. Juniper ash has also been historically consumed as a source of calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...
by the Navajo people.
Juniper is traditionally used in Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
folkloric and Gaelic Polytheist saining
Saining is a Scots word for blessing, protecting, or consecrating.Ross, David and Gavin D. Smith, ''Scots-English/English-Scots Dictionary (Hippocrene Practical Dictionary)'', 1998, p102. ''Sain'' is cognate with the Irish and Scottish Gaelic '' ...
rites, such as those performed at Hogmanay
Hogmanay ( , ) is the Scots word for the last day of the old year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year's Day (1 January) or i ...
(New Year
New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system to ...
), where the smoke of burning juniper, accompanied by traditional prayers and other customary rites, is used to cleanse, bless, and protect the household and its inhabitants.
Local people in Lahaul Valley present juniper leaves to their deities as a folk tradition. It is also useful as a folk remedy for pains and aches, as well as epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...
and asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
. They are reported to collect large amounts of juniper leaves and wood for building and religious purposes.
General use
Juniper berries are a spice used in a wide variety of culinary dishes and are best known for the primary flavoring in gin
Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis'').
Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...
(and responsible for gin's name, which is a shortening of the Dutch word for juniper, ''jenever''). A juniper-based spirit is made by fermenting juniper berries and water to create a "wine" that is then distilled. This is often sold as a juniper brandy in eastern Europe. Juniper berries are also used as the primary flavor in the liquor Jenever
Jenever (, ), also known as Hollands, genever, genièvre, peket, or sometimes as Dutch gin (archaic: Holland gin or Geneva gin), is the juniper-flavored traditional liquor in the Netherlands, Belgium and adjoining areas in northern France an ...
and sahti
Sahti is a Finnish type of farmhouse ale made from malted and unmalted grains including barley and rye. Traditionally the beer is flavored with juniper in addition to, or instead of, hops; -styles of beers. Juniper berry sauce is often a popular flavoring choice for quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New Wor ...
, pheasant
Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family (biology), family Phasianidae in the order (biology), order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera na ...
, veal
Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, however most veal comes from young male calves of dairy breeds which are not used for breeding. Generally, v ...
, rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
, venison
Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, in ...
, and other game dishes.
A tea can be made from the young twigs.
Dense and rot resistant, the irregular trunks of junipers have been used as fence posts and firewood. Stands that produce enough wood for specialty uses generally go under the common name "cedar," including ''Juniperus virginiana'', the "red cedar" that is used widely in cedar drawers and closets. The lack of space or a hyphen between the words "red" and "cedar" is sometimes used to indicate that this species is not a true cedar (''Cedrus
''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae (subfamily Abietoideae). They are native plant, native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altit ...
'').
Juniper in weave is a traditional cladding
Cladding is an outer layer of material covering another. It may refer to the following:
*Cladding (boiler), the layer of insulation and outer wrapping around a boiler shell
*Cladding (construction), materials applied to the exterior of buildings
...
technique used in Northern Europe, e.g. at Havrå
Havrå or Havre (sometimes Havretunet or Havråtunet) is a cluster farm along the southern shore of the island of Osterøy in Osterøy municipality, Vestland county, Norway. Havrå is one of the last and best preserved of the common farm cluster ...
, Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
.
Juniper berries are steam distilled to produce an essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
that may vary from colorless to yellow or pale green. Some of its chemical components are terpenoid
The terpenoids, also known as isoprenoids, are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from the 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes, diterpenes, etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes" ...
s and aromatic compounds
Aromatic compounds, also known as "mono- and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons", are organic compounds containing one or more aromatic rings. The parent member of aromatic compounds is benzene. The word "aromatic" originates from the past groupin ...
, such as cadinene
Cadinenes are a group of isomeric hydrocarbons that occur in a wide variety of essential oil-producing plants. The name is derived from that of the Cade juniper (''Juniperus oxycedrus'' L.), the wood of which yields an oil from which cadinene is ...
, a sesquiterpene
Sesquiterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of three isoprene units and often have the molecular formula C15H24. Like monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes may be cyclic or contain rings, including many unique combinations. Biochemical modificatio ...
.
References
Further reading
*Adams, R. P. (2004). ''Junipers of the World: The genus Juniperus''. Victoria: Trafford.
*Farjon, A. (2001). ''World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers''. Kew.
*Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys''. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
*
External links
Junipers of the world
Photos of cones and foliage of selected species
*
*
{{Authority control
Juniperus
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...