Juniperus sabina

Juniper (Juniperus sabina ), illustration.

The juniper (Juniperus sabina ), and Stink - juniper, juniper or Poison Sebenstrauch called, is a species of the genus (Juniperus ). He once played an important role in folk medicine.

Description

The juniper is a shrub that reaches heights of growth usually only 1 or 2, rarely 5 meters. He rarely grows very upright and usually more or less creeping. The bark on older plants is reddish - brown. The branches have a round or slightly polygonal cross section.

There are two different leaf shapes. In his youth, he forms arranged in whorls 4-5 mm long, needle-shaped, pointed leaves, which are bluish above. At the age tend to be additive cross - against constantly arranged scale-like leaves that are ovate and 1-4 mm long. They have an unpleasant smell when crushed, and have a lifespan of 2 to 3 years.

There occur both monoecious ( monoecious ) and dioecious ( dioecious ) getrenntgeschlechtige individuals on. The flowering period is from March to May The berry- like cones are oval to spherical, 5-7 mm in size. They ripen in autumn the same year of fertilization or next spring and are then frosted black blue. Each pin sit one to three egg-shaped and ridged seeds.

Occurrence

The juniper comes with 4 varieties in the mountains of Algeria in the north-western Africa and Europe in a variety of countries, starting with Spain's Sierra Nevada over the Pyrenees, the Alps, the mountains of the Balkan peninsula, and further means mountains to the Crimean peninsula before. Another main range is known in the Caucasus. The eastern area of ​​distribution one finds in Central Asia. In detail, these southern regions of Siberia in Russia, furthermore Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, western China and northern Mongolia.

In the Alps there are occurrences in Italy's South Tyrol, in the Austrian federal states of Carinthia and Tyrol, in the Swiss cantons of Valais and Grisons with the Lower Engadine and in the German areas around Berchtesgaden, Bad Reichenhall and Oberammergau in South Bavaria. Its occurrence has been expanded far beyond its natural range through its use in folk medicine.

The juniper is light demanding and settled flat ground, rocky, often base -rich soils. It comes in crevices, rocky slopes, dry and steppe grass and in sparse pine and larch forests until at altitudes 1400-2300 meters.

Toxins

The juniper is toxic in all its parts. Responsible main active ingredient is the essential Sadebaumöl. Compared with the oil of the commons juniper (Juniperus communis) it contains far more ester has a higher acetyl content and is dextrorotatory. The Sadebaumöl contains mainly α -pinene and cadinene, but also up to 50 percent sabinene, 35%, and unesterified Sabinylacetat sabinol and diacetyl.

It attacks humans on the gastric mucosa, causing congestion in the kidneys and thus hematuria. Also, other internal organs are attacked. In women, the oil can cause menorrhagia and lead to miscarriage. Therefore, the fruits were also used in the Middle Ages specifically to abortion. Even a few drops of essential oil can be fatal to humans, already by rubbing poisonous gases.

In the past, repeatedly juniper berries, which were contaminated with Sadebaumbeeren, has been used to flavor gin. At least in Spain juniper berries are therefore examined the state.

Host

The Stink - juniper is one of the main hosts for pear rust ( Gymnosporangium sabinae ), causing damage to pear trees. For this he was previously regional basis eliminates surface.

System

There are four varieties:

• Juniperus sabina L. var sabina - the specific type has a very wide distribution from northwestern Africa to Europe and Asia to the shores of the Pacific Ocean: on Africa in the mountains of Algeria
• In Europe, from Spain to France, Switzerland, Austria, Russia in Volgograd, in Croatia, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, the Crimea, Italy and Greece
• In Asia through Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus states Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Russian part of States Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino -Balkaria and North Ossetia; also in Central Asia, with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, in China with the Entities Nei Monggol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Xinjiang

Threats and conservation measures

The juniper is indeed implemented by the World Conservation Union IUCN Red List of endangered species, but not as endangered ( "Least Concern" ) referred. However, an evaluation of the situation on the basis unaktueller data is considered necessary. In the Red List of Switzerland of juniper Juniperus sabina is listed and assessed as not at risk ( "LC" ).

With the Fauna-Flora -Habitat Directive Nr.92/43/EWG in the updated version of 1 January 2007 ( the Habitats Directive ) Annex 1 of the European Union are protected areas for the following types of habitat in which there are so - juniper also for the juniper - required:

• Coastal dunes with juniper species Juniperus spp. - The Inschutzstellung these habitats is required as a priority by zuführend
• Tree -shaped Hartlaub thickets ( matorral ) with juniper species Juniperus spp.
• Endemic forests with juniper species Juniperus spp. - The Inschutzstellung these habitats is regarded as a matter of priority

Swell

• Ruprecht Duell, Herfried Kutzelnigg: Pocket Dictionary of Plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The most common central European species in the portrait. 7, corr. and ext. Edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1.
• L. Roth, M. Daunderer, K. grain man: toxic plants plant poisons, 6th revised edition, 2012, Nikol- Verlag, ISBN 978-386820-009-6