Juniperus squamata
Encyclopedia
Juniperus squamata 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. It represents the provincial tree of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (unofficial).
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
.
Three to five varieties
are accepted, with treatment differing between different authors:
Juniperus morrisonicola Hayata from Taiwan is often treated as a synonym, or a variety Juniperus squamata var. morrisonicola (Hayata) H.L.Li & H.Keng, but is better treated as a distinct species as it has a distinct DNA profile.
in Europe and North America, valued for its bluish foliage, particularly brightly coloured in the cultivar
s 'Blue Carpet', 'Blue Star', and 'Meyeri'.
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
native to the Himalaya and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, from northeastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
east to western Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
in southwestern China, and with disjunct populations north to western Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
and east to Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
. It grows at 1,600-4,900 m altitude. It represents the provincial tree of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (unofficial).
It is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
(rarely a small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
) reaching 2-10 m tall (rarely 15 m), with flaky brown bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
, and a prostrate to irregularly conical crown. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
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
Conifer cone
A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less conspicuous even at full maturity...
are berry-like, globose to ovoid, 4-9 mm long and 4-6 mm diameter, glossy black, and contain one seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
; 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
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, with pollen and seed cones produced on separate plants, but occasionally monoecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
.
Three to five varieties
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
are accepted, with treatment differing between different authors:
- 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.
- Juniperus squamata var. parviflora Y.F.Yu & L.K.Fu; often included in var. squamata.
Juniperus morrisonicola Hayata from Taiwan is often treated as a synonym, or a variety Juniperus squamata var. morrisonicola (Hayata) H.L.Li & H.Keng, but is better treated as a distinct species as it has a distinct DNA profile.
Cultivation and uses
Juniperus squamata is widely grown as an ornamental plantOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in Europe and North America, valued for its bluish foliage, particularly brightly coloured in the cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s 'Blue Carpet', 'Blue Star', and 'Meyeri'.