Juniperus monticola

The mountain juniper (Juniperus monticola ) is a plant from the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). It is native to Mexico and Guatemala to the west.

Description

Can The mountain juniper grows as evergreen shrub or tree of the stature heights of up to 10 meters reach. The shrub has sinuous branches and a more spreading or prostrate figure. The flattened to broadly conical crown of the trees is formed by just outgoing, twisted to the ascending branches. The gray on gray -brown to cinnamon - brown or light Stammborke is 5 to 10 millimeters thick and peels off in long fibrous strips or plates. The branches have a red-brown to gray-brown bark.

The scale-like, gray-green to green leaves are 1 to 2 millimeters long and are arranged alternately along the branches. You have finely toothed leaf edges and a rounded tip. On some sheets there is a conspicuous resin gland.

The mountain juniper is dioecious - getrenntgeschlechtig ( dioecious ). The flowering time is in the fall. The berry cones standing on bent stems and are at a diameter of 5 to 10 millimeters spherically shaped. They have a soft, juicy pulp and out blue black dyed to maturity and frosted blue-green. Each of the berry cones carries two to nine angular and ridged seeds.

Distribution and location

The natural range of mountain juniper is located in Mexico and western Guatemala. It includes the states of Coahuila in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Michoacán, Morelos, Nuevo León, Puebla, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala and Veracruz. In Guatemala, the species occurs in the department of Huehuetenango.

The mountain juniper grows at altitudes 2400-4500 meters. It grows in the subalpine vegetation zone on rocky soils. It makes up to the tree line mixed stands with fir (Abies ), oak (Quercus ) and pine (Pinus ). Above the tree line, they grow together with riding grasses ( Calamagrostis ) and Schwingeln ( Festuca ).

System

The first description as Juniperus monticola was made in 1946 by Maximino Martínez in Anales del Instituto de Biología de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Series Biology, Volume 17 (1-2 ), pp. 79-85. Other synonyms for Juniperus monticola Martínez are Cupressus sabinoides Kunth, Juniperus tetragona Schltdl. and Sabina tetragona ( Schltdl. ) Antoine.

The species is divided into up to three forms:

• Juniperus monticola f compacta Martínez grows as a low -lying shrub that can grow up to 1 meter high. The form is found in the Sierra Mojada and on the mountains Cerro Pelado Ajusco, Nevado de Colima, Popocatépetl, Iztaccihuatl, Tlaloc, Nevado de Toluca, Cerro Potosí, Malinche and Cofre de Perote. It grows at altitudes 3000-4500 meters. The form is considered for genetic studies by some authors as distinct species Juniperus compacta.
• Juniperus monticola monticola f is the nominate form and grows as a spreading shrub or tree of the plant height can reach up to 10 meters. The shape comes in all mountain ranges in the distribution area at altitudes 2400-4300 meters in front.
• Juniperus monticola f orizabensis Martínez grows as a shrub up to 1.5 meters high. The form appears on the Pico de Orizaba, the Cofre de Perote and on the Peña Nevada. It grows at altitudes 3700-4500 meters.

Threats and conservation

The mountain juniper is " not endangered" than in the IUCN Red List. However, it is noted that a re-examination of risk is necessary.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Juniperus monticola. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, May 22, 2011 accessed on 6 October 2012 ( English).