Juniperus horizontalis
Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis )
The creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ) is a plant from the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). It is native to northern North America.
Description
The creeping juniper grows as evergreen low shrub. The branches go straight off the creeping branches. The smooth brown bark of thin twigs leafs in thin strips and those of the thicker branches off in wide strips or plates.
The type formed of two kinds of sheets. All are green in summer and reddish- purple color in the winter. You have a further ganzrandigen leaf edge and have an egg-shaped gland at the base on. The pointed leaves are 4-8 millimeters long. The scale-like leaves are 1.5 to 2 millimeters long and overlap usually up to one third of their total length. They have a rounded - obtuse to pointed tip.
The creeping juniper is dioecious - getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ) and berry cones mature usually in the second year. They are usually available in a curved handle and with a diameter of 5 to 7 millimeters shaped globose to ovoid. For ripening turns they are blue colored black to brownish blue and bright frosted. Each of the soft and resinous cones carries one to three seeds. Each seed is 4-5 mm long.
The chromosome number is 2n = 22
Distribution and location
The natural range of the creeping juniper covers the entire Canada, the archipelago of Saint- Pierre and Miquelon, and the northern states of the USA. In the U.S. you can find it from Alaska in the north to Massachusetts to the south.
The species grows from sea level to altitudes of 1000 meters. They are found on slopes, sand dunes, in prairies, on outcrops and along river beds. It grows best in sandy or gravelly soils.
Use
The creeping juniper is planted as an ornamental shrub.
System
The first description as Juniperus horizontalis was in 1794 by Conrad Moench in Methodus Plantas Horti Botanici et Agri Marburgensis: a staminum situ describendi, page 699 A synonym for Juniperus horizontalis Moench is Sabina horizontalis ( Moench ) Rydb ..
The species is closely related to the Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ) and the Virginian juniper (Juniperus virginiana) and forms with this also hybrids of. The hybrids with the Rocky Mountain juniper is called Juniperus x fassettii.
Threats and conservation
Juniperus horizontalis is classified as " not at risk " in the IUCN Red List. However, it is noted that a re-examination of risk is necessary.
Swell
- Christopher J. Earle: Juniperus horizontalis. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, October 1, 2012, accessed on 19 August 2012 ( English).
- Frank D. Watson, James E. Eckenwalder: Cupressaceae. Juniperus. In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee ( eds.): Flora of North America North of Mexico. Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms. Volume 2, Oxford University Press, New York et al 1993, ISBN 0-19-508242-7, Juniperus horizontalis ( this work is the same text online, Juniperus horizontalis - Online).