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Juniperus communis

(Carpet Juniper Juniperus Communis)

Overview

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Shrub or tree .

Juniper berries flavor gin, liqueurs, cordials, and soft drinks. The roasted berries were once used as a coffee substitute. In France, the berries are fermented with barley to make a beer called genevrette.

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Albanian:

Dellinjë E Rëndomtë

Common Names in Arabic:

Arar, عرعر, عَرْعَر

Common Names in Armenian:

Ardoog, Artuč, Artuch, Արտուճ

Common Names in Azerbaijani:

Ardıc, Ardyċ, Ардыҹ

Common Names in Basque:

Iñibre, Ipuru

Common Names in Bulgarian:

Ḫvojna, Khvojna, Хвойна

Common Names in Catalan:

Ginebró

Common Names in Croatian:

Borovica

Common Names in Czech:

Jalovčinky, Jalovec, Jalovec Obecný

Common Names in Danish:

Enebær, Junipero

Common Names in Dutch:

Jeneverbes

Common Names in English:

Carpet Juniper Juniperus Communis, Aiten, Common Juniper, Creeping Juniper, Dwarf Juniper, Fainy Circle, Gorst, Ground Juniper, Hackmatack, Horse Savin, Juniper, Malchangel

Common Names in Esperanto:

Juniperbero, Junipero

Common Names in Estonian:

Harilik Kadakas, Kadakamarjad

Common Names in Finnish:

Kataja, Katajanmarja, Kotikataja

Common Names in French:

Genévrier, Genévrier Commun, Genévrier, Genévrier Commun, Genièvre Commun, Genièvre

Common Names in Galician:

Enebro, Xenebro

Common Names in German:

Gemeine Wacholder, Kranawitt, Machandel, Wacholder

Common Names in Greek, Modern:

Árkeuthos, Arkevthos, Άρκευθος

Common Names in Hebrew:

Ar-Ar, Arar, Guniper, Juniper, ג'וניפר, ערער

Common Names in Hungarian:

Boróka, Borókabogyó

Common Names in Icelandic:

Einiber, Einir

Common Names in Italian:

Coccola Di Ginepro, Ginepro

Common Names in Japanese:

Junipa, Se-I-Yo-U-Su-Zu, Se-I-Yo-U-To-Si-(yo)-U, Seiyo-Suzu, Seiyo-Toshyo, Zi-(yu)-Ni-Pa-, ジュニパー, セイヨウスズ, セイヨウトショウ

Common Names in Kazakh:

Arşa, Арша

Common Names in Korean:

Chunipo, Chyunipo, Gob-Hyang-Na-Mu, Ju-Ni-Peo, Junipeo, Jyu-Ni-Peo, Jyunipeo, Kophyang-Namu, 곱향나무, 주니퍼, 쥬니퍼

Common Names in Latvian:

Kadiķa Ogas, Paegļi, Zviedrijas Kadiķis

Common Names in Lithuanian:

Paprastasis Kadagys

Common Names in Norwegian:

Einer

Common Names in Persian:

Sarv Kuhi, Srwḱwhý, سروکوهی

Common Names in Polish:

Jagody Jałowca, Jałowiec Pospolity

Common Names in Portuguese:

Junípero, Junipo, Zimbreiro

Common Names in Provençal:

Genèbre, Janebre

Common Names in Romanian:

Ienupăr

Common Names in Russian:

Mozhzhevelnik, Možževel'nik, Можжевельник

Common Names in Sanskrit:

Hapusha

Common Names in Scottish Gaelic:

Ailtinn, Aiteil, Aitiol

Common Names in Slovak:

Borievka, Borievka Obyčajná

Common Names in Slovenian:

Brin, Brinove Jagode

Common Names in Spanish:

Bayas De Enebro, Cedro, Enebro, Junípero, Nebrina

Common Names in Swahili:

Mreteni

Common Names in Swedish:

En, Enbär

Common Names in Turkish:

Ardıç Yemişi, Ephel

Common Names in Ukrainian:

Âlìvec' Zvičajnij, Yalivets Zvychajnyj, Ялівець звичайний

Description

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Family Cupressaceae

Trees or shrubs evergreen , monoecious or dioecious. Leaves decussate or in whorls of 3, scalelike and then often dimorphic with flattened facial leaves and keeled lateral leaves, or needlelike particularly in juvenile plants , often with an abaxial resin gland . Pollen cones terminal or axillary , solitary, maturing and shed annually; microsporophylls 6-16, decussate or whorled , each bearing (2 or) 3-6(-9) pollen sacs ; pollen wingless. Seed cones usually terminal, solitary, globose , ovoid , or oblong , dehiscent or indehiscent when mature in 1st or 2nd(or 3rd) year; cone scales developing after ovules originate in bract axils; bracts almost completely enveloped by cone scales, free only at apex; ovules 1-numerous per bract axil, erect ; cone scales of mature cones 3-16, flat or peltate, woody, leathery, or succulent, 1-20-seeded. Seeds winged or not; wings derived from seed coat . Cotyledons usually 2, rarely 3-6. Germination epigeal.

Nineteen genera and ca. 125 species: worldwide; eight genera (one introduced ) and 46 species (16 endemic, 13 introduced) in China.[1]

Genus Juniperus

Shrubs or trees evergreen . Branchlets terete , 3--6 angled , variously oriented, but not in flattened sprays . Leaves opposite in 4 ranks or in whorls of 3. Adult leaves closely appressed to divergent, scalelike to subulate , free portion to ca. 10 mm (to ca. 15 mm in Juniperus communis ) ; abaxial gland visible or not, elongate to hemispheric ( J. ashei ), sometimes exuding white crystalline deposit. Pollen cones with 3--7 pairs or trios of sporophylls, each sporophyll with 2--8 pollen sacs . Seed cones maturing in 1 or 2 years, globose to ovoid and berrylike, 3--20 mm, remaining closed , usually glaucous; scales persistent , 1--3 pairs, peltate, tightly coalesced , thick and fleshy or fibrous to obscurely woody. Seeds 1--3 per scale, round to faceted , wingless; cotyledons 2--6. x = 11.

Species ca. 60: primarily Northern Hemisphere, 1 in e Africa.

Juniperus is the only dioecious (sometimes monoecious) genus of Cupressaceae in the flora . Cones, generally terminal , are axillary in J. communis.

Numerous cultivars of Juniperus species are widely used for landscaping. Mutants , or "sports," affecting plant habit and foliage are present in all species and are likely related to single-gene mutations . Many have been given formal names or incorrectly ascribed to hybridization. Gymnocarpy (bare seeds protruding from the cone), caused by insect larvae (T. A. Zanoni 1978), is occasionally found in most junipers, particularly in the southwestern United States. Specimens with such aberrations may be almost impossible to identify without chemical data.[2]

Physical Description

Species Juniperus communis

Shrubs or small trees dioecious, to 4 m (if trees, to 10 m), multistemmed, decumbent or rarely upright; crown generally depressed . Bark brown, fibrous , exfoliating in thin strips, that of small branchlets (5--10 mm diam.) smooth , that of larger branchlets exfoliating in strips and plates . Branches spreading or ascending ; branchlets erect , terete . Leaves green but sometimes appearing silver when glaucous, spreading, abaxial glands very elongate ; adaxial surface with glaucous stomatal band ; apex acute to obtuse , mucronate . Seed cones maturing in 2 years, of 2 distinct sizes, with straight peduncles, globose to ovoid , 6--13 mm, bluish black, glaucous, resinous to obscurely woody, with 2--3 seeds. Seeds 4--5 mm. 2 n = 22. [source]

Juniperus communis is the most widespread juniper species, and many subspecies and varieties have been described. A major study, including chemical characters, is needed to clarify the taxonomy. J. D. A. Franco (1962) recognized four subspecies (here considered varieties) ; two of these---var. communis and var. hemisphaerica (J. Presl & C. Presl) Parlatore---do not occur in the flora and a fifth, recognized here, was not treated by Franco. [source]

ID Features: Needles in 3's. Long awl needles. Needles pointed. Brown winter color. Gray to brown fruits in winter. Often confused with J. conferta, but J. communis has a white. stomatal line that is broader than the green margin, white J. conferta. has a green line down the middle of a narrow white stomatal line..

Habit: A medium-sized evergreen tree with wide spreading branches pointed upwards, typically at a 45° angle from the ground . Usually found as a multi-branched shrub .

Flowers: Dioecious. Staminate flowers yellow. No ornamental value.

Seeds: Fruit: 3-seeded cone, sessile or on short stalks . Globose in shape . 0.33" to 0.5" in diameter. Blue-black in color with a waxy bloom . Ripens during second or third year. Used for flavoring gin.

Foliage: Summer foliage: Awl-shaped needles . Needles persist for 3 years. Needles set at a wide angle from stem. Needles are concave with a broad white band on upper-side. Blunt needle tip. Gray-green to blue-green in color. Needles can be found in whorls of 3 on branchlets . • Fall foliage: Evergreen , no fall color. Needles turn yellowish brown during winter months. Can be unattractive.

Size/Age/Growth

Growth Rate: Slow. • Size: 5' to 10' tall and 8' to 12' wide.

Landscaping

Landscape Uses: Naturalized plantings . Poor soil sites. Hedges . Mass plantings. • Liabilities: Susceptible to juniper blights . Yellow-brown foliage color that develops in the cold months may be. objectionable to some.

Habitat

Zone 2.

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,180 meters (0 to 10,433 feet).[3]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Easily transplanted. Grows on poor sites. Wind tolerant . Full sun . PH adaptable. Once established little maintence required. Not as heat tolerant as other Juniperus species.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 8.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 5-Jun-2008

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Juniperus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 184 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

J. ashei (Ashe Juniper) · J. bermudiana (Bermuda Cedar) · J. californica (California Juniper) · J. cedrus (Canary Island Juniper) · J. chinensis (Blue Pfitzer Juniper) · J. chinensis holbert (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis L. var. procumbens Siebold ex Endl. 'Sargentii' (Sargent Juniper) · J. chinensis L. var. sargentii A.Henry (Sargent Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis L. var. sargentii A.Henry 'Viridis' (Green Sargent`s Juniper) · J. chinensis L. 'Ames' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis L. 'Maney' (Maney Juniper) · J. chinensis L. 'Mint Julep' (Mint Julep Juniper) · J. chinensis L. 'Old Gold' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis L. 'Robusta Green' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis nicks (Nicks Compact Juniper) · J. chinensis sargentii 'Glauca' (Blue Sargent`s Juniper) · J. chinensis sea (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis var. armstrongii (Armstrong Juniper) · J. chinensis var. hetzii (Hetz Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis var. keteleeri (Keteleer Juniper) · J. chinensis var. Pfitzerana Aurea (Pfitz Gold Tip Juniper) · J. chinensis var. pfitzeriana (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis var. Pfitz Glauca (Pfitz Blue Juniper) · J. chinensis var. Shimpaku (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis var. torulosa (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Aurea' (Gold Coast Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Bakaurea' (Gold Star® Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Blue Alps' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Blue Point' (Blue Point Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Compressa' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Daub' (Daub's Frosted Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Femina' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Golden Blaauw' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Gold Coast' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Hetzii Columnaris' (Green Columnar Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Hetzii Glauca' (Hetz Blue Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Hook's #6' (Hook's #6 Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Kaizuka' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Kaizuka Variegata' (Variegated Hollywood Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Mac's Golden' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Mission' (Mission Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Monlep' (Mint Julep® Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Mountbatten' (Mountbatten Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Parsonsii' (Chinese Juniper) · J. Chinensis 'Pyrmidalis' (Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Saybrook Gold' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Sea Green' (Sea Green Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Spartan' (Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Spearmint' (Spearmint Chinese Juniper) · J. chinensis 'Variegated Parsonii' (Chinese Juniper) · J. coahuilensis (Coahuila Juniper) · J. communis (Carpet Juniper Juniperus Communis) · J. communis compressa var. Compressa (Common Juniper) · J. communis depressa var. depressa (Canadian Juniper) · J. communis L. var. communis L. (Common Juniper) · J. communis L. var. megistocarpa Fern. & St. John (Common Juniper) · J. communis L. var. montana Aiton (Common Juniper) · J. communis oblonga (Common Juniper) · J. communis var. depressa (Common Juniper) · J. communis var. montana (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Aureopicta' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Banff' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Berkshire' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Compacta Aurea' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Depressa Aurea' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Golden Schnapps' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Gold Cone' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Gold Totem Pole' (Common Juniper) · J. communis 'Green Carpet' (Carpet Juniper) · J. communis 'Hibernica' (Irish Juniper) · J. communis 'Mondap' (Alpine Carpet® Juniper) · J. communis 'Oblonga Pendula' (Carpet Juniper) · J. communis 'Suecia Nana' (Common Juniper) · J. conferta 'Blue Pacific' (Blue Pacific Shore Juniper) · J. conferta 'Blue Tosho' (Shore Juniper) · J. conferta 'Emerald Sea' (Emerald Sea Shore Juniper) · J. conferta 'Irozam' (Iron Age Juniper) · J. conferta 'Silver Mist' (Silver Mist Juniper) · J. davurica 'Expansa Variegata' (Variegated Dahurian Juniper) · J. deppeana (Alligator Juniper) · J. deppeana var. sperryi (Alligator Juniper) · J. drupacea (Syrian Juniper) · J. excelsa (Indian Juniper) · J. flaccida (Drooping Juniper) · J. horizontalis (Creeping Cedar) · J. horizontalis 'Andorra Compacta' (Creeping Cedar) · J. horizontalis 'Bar Harbor' (Bar Harbor Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Blue Chip' (Blue Chip Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Grey Forest' (Creeping Cedar) · J. horizontalis 'Hughes' (Hughes Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Icee Blue' (Creeping Cedar) · J. horizontalis 'Jade River' (Jade River Creeping Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Lime Glow' (Creeping Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Monber' (Icee Blue® Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Mother Lode' (Mother Lode Golden Creeping Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Plumosa' (Andorra Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Plumosa Compacta' (Compact Andorra Creeping Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Prince of Wales' (Creeping Cedar) · J. horizontalis 'Wiltonii' (Blue Rug Juniper) · J. horizontalis 'Wiltoni' (Blue Rug Juniper)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 17, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Liguo Fu, Yong-fu Yu, Robert P. Adams & Aljos Farjon "Cupressaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 4 Page 62. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. Robert P. Adams "Juniperus". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 486.020 meters (1,594.554 feet), Standard Deviation = 536.080 based on 18,205 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012