Juniperus saxicola

Juniperus saxicola is a plant belonging to the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). It comes in the southeastern part of the island of Cuba endemic.

Description

Juniperus saxicola grows as a evergreen tree or shrub that can reach heights of growth 3-10 meters.

The needle-like leaves are 5-7 mm long and about 1 mm wide. You are decurrent and abspreizend on the branches. It does not shed leaves are even trained in old age.

The female cones are approximately spherical shaped with a length of approximately 5 mm and a thickness of 3-4 millimeters to kidney-shaped. For ripening turns they are dark colored blue and frosted. Each pin carries two seeds.

Distribution and location

The natural range of Juniperus saxicola is located in the province of Granma in the southeast of the island of Cuba. The species is present there in the summit regions of the Sierra Maestra and the Turquino.

Juniperus saxicola colonized rocky summits, where it grows in dry mist forests. He preferred in this rocky terrain on which dominant species such as Cleyera ekmannii, Clusia tetrastigma, Haenianthus salicifolius, Lyonnia turquini and Ternstroemia microcalyx not thrive.

System

The first description as Juniperus saxicola was Nathaniel Lord Britton 1923 and Percy Wilson in Torrey Botanical Club Bulletin of the, Volume 50, page 35 synonyms for Juniperus saxicola Britton & P. Wilson are Juniperus barbadensis subsp. saxicola ( Britton & P. Wilson ) Borhidi and Juniperus barbadensis var saxicola ( Britton & P. Wilson ) Silba.

Threats and conservation

Juniperus saxicola is classified in the IUCN Red List as "vulnerable". It is noted, however, that a re-examination of risk is necessary.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Juniperus saxicola. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, November 23, 2012, accessed on January 1, 2013 ( English).