Juniperus squamata
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| Juniperus squamata | ||||||||||||||
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 Foliage of cultivar 'Meyeri'
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| Juniperus squamata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don |
Juniperus squamata (Flaky Juniper or Himalayan Juniper; Chinese: 高山柏 gao shan bai) is a species of juniper native to the Himalaya and China, from northeastern Afghanistan east to western Yunnan in southwestern China, and with disjunct populations north to western Gansu and east to Fujian. It grows at 1,600-4,900 m altitude.[1][2][3][4]
It is a shrub (rarely a small tree) reaching 2-10 m tall (rarely 15 m), with flaky brown bark, and a prostrate to irregularly conical crown. The leaves are broad needle-like, 3-9 mm long, arranged in six ranks in alternating whorls of three, and often strongly glaucous blue-green in colour. The cones are berry-like, globose to ovoid, 4-9 mm long and 4-6 mm diameter, glossy black, and contain one seed; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 3-4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring. It is largely dioecious, with pollen and seed cones produced on separate plants, but occasionally monoecious.[1][2][3]
Three to five varieties are accepted, with treatment differing between different authors:[1][2][3]
- Juniperus squamata var. squamata - leaves mostly 5-9 mm. Throughout the range.
- Juniperus squamata var. fargesii Rehder & E.H.Wilson - leaves mostly 3-5 mm. Confined to the eastern half of the range in China.
- Juniperus squamata var. hongxiensis Y.F.Yu & L.K.Fu; often included in var. squamata.[1]
- Juniperus squamata var. parviflora Y.F.Yu & L.K.Fu; often included in var. squamata.[1]
Juniperus morrisonicola Hayata from Taiwan is often treated as a synonym,[2] or a variety Juniperus squamata var. morrisonicola (Hayata) H.L.Li & H.Keng,[5] but is better treated as a distinct species as it has a distinct DNA profile.[1]
[edit] Cultivation and uses
Juniperus squamata is widely grown as an ornamental plant in Europe and North America, valued for its bluish foliage, particularly brightly coloured in the cultivars 'Blue Carpet', 'Blue Star', and 'Meyeri'.
[edit] References and external links
- ^ a b c d e f Adams, R. P. (2004). Junipers of the World. Trafford. ISBN 1-4120-4250-X
- ^ a b c d Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4
- ^ a b c Flora of China: Juniperus squamata
- ^ Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Juniperus squamata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
- ^ Gymnosperm Database: Juniperus squamata
