Juniperus indica

The black juniper (Juniperus indica) is a species of the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). It is native to Central Asia.

Description

The black juniper grows as an upright or low -lying evergreen shrub, rarely a tree that can reach heights of growth of up to 2 meters. The standing on the branches densely branches are quadrangular, sometimes pencil -shaped and usually go straight from.

The type formed of two different types of sheets. The needle-like leaves are found mostly on young plants. They are 3-8 mm long, with a pointed tip and at the base of the underside of leaves an elongated leaf gland. They are in Dreierwirteln on the branches. The scale-like, blunt leaves are diamond-shaped molded at a length of 1.2 to 2 millimeters. In the middle of the underside of leaves is a oblong shaped gland. The leaves are tight and are decussate or in Dreierwirteln on the branches.

The black juniper is dioecious - getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). The male cones are shaped approximately spherical to oval with a diameter of 2-3 millimeters. They have six to eight Mikrosporophylle with two to three pollen sacs. Beer the pin are approximately spherical shape with a length of 6 to 13 millimeters and a thickness of 5-8 millimeters to ovate. They are colored black brown towards maturity. Each pin carries one to two seed. The smooth or indistinctly wrinkled seeds are oval shaped with a length of 5 to 6 millimeters and a width of about 4 mm.

Distribution and location

The natural range of the black juniper includes Bhutan, Southwest China, Northern India, Kashmir, Nepal, and northern Pakistan. In China, it occurs in the east and south of the Autonomous Region of Tibet, western Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan. In India it is found in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh.

In China, the nature thrives at altitudes 2600-5100 meters. It grows mainly in thickets and forests on mountain slopes.

System

The first description as Juniperus indica was carried out in 1862 by Antonio Bertoloni in Botanica Miscellanea, Volume 23, page 16, panel 1 synonyms for Juniperus indica Bertol. are Juniperus wallichiana Hook. f & Thomson ex Parl and Sabina wallichiana ( Hook. f & Thomson ex E. Brandis ) WC Cheng & L.K. Fu.

The species is divided into up to three varieties:

• Juniperus indica var caespitosa Farjon comes in Bhutan, Northwest Nepal and South Tibet.
• Juniperus indica var indica is the nominate form and occurs throughout the range.
• Juniperus indica var rushforthiana R. P. Adams is found in Bhutan.

Threats and conservation

The black juniper is " not endangered" in the IUCN Red List Due to the large area of ​​distribution as. However, it is noted that a re-examination of risk is necessary.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Juniperus indica. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org 12 December, 2010, accessed on 19 August 2012 ( English).
• 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 and St. Louis in 1999, ISBN 0-915279-70-3, Juniperus indica, S. 76 ( this printed work is the same text online, Juniperus indica - Online).