Juniperus durangensis

Juniperus durangensis is a plant belonging to the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). It is native to Mexico.

Description

Juniperus durangensis grows as evergreen, multi-stemmed shrub or tree that can reach heights of growth of up to 5 meters. The trunk branches already close to the ground. The branches go straight or ascending from the branches off, forming an irregular crown. The bark is dyed ash brown and peels off in long, fibrous strips. The smooth, reddish-brown bark of the branches may occasionally flake off in scales.

The scaly, dark gray-green leaves are 1 to 2 millimeters long and are mostly opposite on the branches. The leaf margins are finely toothed.

The bumpy, berry-like cones are 6-7 mm long and 4-6 mm thick. They have a soft pulp. Each pin carrying one to four, with a length 3-4 mm and a width of 2 to 3 millimeters approximately conical to ovoid seeds. These are dark reddish brown, have a pointed or blunt tip and shallow grooves.

Distribution and location

The natural range of Juniperus durangensis is located in Mexico. It includes the states of Aguascalientes there, Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, Sonora and Zacatecas.

Juniperus durangensis thrives at altitudes from 1600 to 2900 meters. One finds the way especially mountain forests, where they mixed stands with bearberry ( Arctostaphylos ), other species of juniper (Juniperus ), oak (Quercus ) and pines forms (Pinus ). However, it is nowhere common.

System

The first description was in 1946 as Juniperus durangensis by Maximino Martínez in Anales del Instituto de Biología de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Series Biology, Volume 17, Number 1, page 94

Threats and conservation

Juniperus durangensis is in the IUCN Red List as "vulnerable" out. It is noted, however, that a re-examination of risk is necessary. It has only been ten locations is known, but the possibility that it was at other locations overlooked so far.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Juniperus durangensis. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org 12 December, 2010, retrieved on July 14, 2012 ( English).