Juniperus squamata

Beschuppter juniper (Juniperus squamata )

The scaly juniper (Juniperus squamata ) is a plant from the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ). He is the central and eastern Asia home

Description

The scaly may juniper grows as evergreen, upright or low -lying shrub or small tree of stature heights of up to 12 meters reach. The branches go from low to high or straight from the tree. The short, straight or curved branches are close to the branches.

The needle-like leaves are 2.5 to 10 millimeters long and 1 to 1.5 millimeters wide and are straight or slightly curved. They are in Dreierwirteln on the branches and have at the leaf surface white Stomatabänder. In the middle or at the base of the lower leaf surface is a narrow furrow. Your tip is pointed and the leaf base is decurrent.

The male cones are oval shaped with a diameter of 3 to 4 millimeters. They contain nine to twelve Mikrosporophylle, which each carry three pollen sacs. Beer female pins are oval shaped with a length of 4 to 8 mm and a thickness of 4 to 6 mm to approximately spherical. At maturity they are back dyed black to blue- black. Each tapped wearing a ridged seed. The seeds are ovate shape with a length of 3.5 to 6 millimeters and a width of 2 to 5 mm, and have pits on the resin.

Distribution and location

The natural range of the scaly juniper is located in the central and eastern Asia. It extends there from Afghanistan and northern Pakistan in the west through Kashmir, northern India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north in Myanmar, eastern China and Taiwan Island in the east. In China, he comes in southern Anhui, western Fujian, southern Gansu, eastern Guizhou, western Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang and Yunnan ago.

In China, the scaly juniper grows at altitudes 1600-4500 meters. It grows there, especially in forests, thickets, in mountain valleys and along roads.

Use

The wood of the scaly juniper is used as firewood and use of the plant parts, essential oils can be won. Furthermore, the type is used as ornamental tree.

System

The first description as Juniperus squamata was made in 1824 by Francis Buchanan - Hamilton 17 in A Description of the genus Pinus, Volume 2, page Synonyms for Juniperus squamata Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don are Juniperus squamata var recurva ( Buch.-Ham. D.Don ex ) Parl and Sabina squamata ( Buchanan - Hamilton ex D. Don ) Antoine.

The species is divided into up to four varieties:

• Juniperus squamata var fargesii Rehder & EH Wilson grows as an upright or low -lying shrub or tree. The variety is found in China in Huang Shan, Liancheng Xian, in southern Gansu, in Jiangkou, in Taibai Shan and Sichuan and Yunnan. It grows at altitudes 1600-4500 meters. Synonyms are Juniperus fargesii ( Rehder & EH Wilson) Komarov, Juniperus kansuensis Komarov and Juniperus lemeeana H. Léveillé & Blinovskij.
• Juniperus squamata var hongxiensis YF Yu and LK Fu grows as a shrub. The variety is found in Meigu in southern Sichuan, where it grows at altitudes 3600-3700 meters.
• Juniperus squamata var parviflora YF Yu and LK Fu grows as a shrub. The variety is found in south-western Sichuan, where it grows at altitudes 3200-3800 meters.
• Juniperus squamata squamata var is the nominate form and grows as a shrub. It occurs at altitudes 2300-4400 meters in almost the entire area of ​​distribution.

Threats and conservation

The scaly juniper is " not endangered" than in the IUCN Red List. It is noted, however, that a re-examination of risk is necessary.

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Juniperus squamata. In: The Gymnosperm Database. www.conifers.org, November 28, 2012, accessed January 3, 2013 ( 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 squamata, p 73 ( this printed work is the same text online, Juniperus squamata - Online).