Juniperus tibetica
Encyclopedia
Juniperus tibetica is a species of juniper
, native to western China
in southern Gansu
, southeastern Qinghai
, Sichuan
, and Tibet
, where it grows at high to very high altitudes of 2,600–4,800 m.
It is an evergreen
coniferous
shrub
or small to medium-sized tree
growing to 5–15 m (rarely 30 m) tall, with a trunk up to 2 m diameter. The leaves
are of two forms, juvenile needle-like leaves 5 mm long on seedlings and occasionally (regrowth after browsing damage) on adult plants, and adult scale-leaves 1.5–3 mm long on older plants; they are arranged in decussate opposite pairs or whorls of three. The cones
are ovoid, berry-like, 9–16 mm long and 7–13 mm diameter, blue-black, and contain a single seed
; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 1.5–2 mm long, and shed their pollen in spring. It is usually monoecious
(male and female cones on the same plant), but occasionally dioecious
(male and female cones on separate plants).
occurring over large areas of high altitude Tibet, and grows very slowly in the harsh climatic conditions there. The wood
is therefore of major importance to local communities for building construction and fuel, and is also burnt for incense
. The foliage is also heavily browsed by domestic goat
s and other livestock
. Both uses have resulted in a significant decline in the species' abundance; formerly listed (1998) as not threatened, it has more recently (2005) been re-categorised as Near Threatened.
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 western 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...
in southern 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...
, southeastern Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, and Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
, where it grows at high to very high altitudes of 2,600–4,800 m.
It is an evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
coniferous
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
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...
or small to medium-sized 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...
growing to 5–15 m (rarely 30 m) tall, with a trunk up to 2 m diameter. 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 of two forms, juvenile needle-like leaves 5 mm long on seedlings and occasionally (regrowth after browsing damage) on adult plants, and adult scale-leaves 1.5–3 mm long on older plants; they are arranged in decussate opposite pairs or whorls of three. 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 ovoid, berry-like, 9–16 mm long and 7–13 mm diameter, blue-black, and contain a single 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 1.5–2 mm long, and shed their pollen in spring. It is usually 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....
(male and female cones on the same plant), but occasionally 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....
(male and female cones on separate plants).
Conservation and uses
It is the only woody plantWoody plant
A woody plant is a plant that uses wood as its structural tissue. These are typically perennial plants whose stems and larger roots are reinforced with wood produced adjacent to the vascular tissues. The main stem, larger branches, and roots of these plants are usually covered by a layer of...
occurring over large areas of high altitude Tibet, and grows very slowly in the harsh climatic conditions there. The wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
is therefore of major importance to local communities for building construction and fuel, and is also burnt for incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
. The foliage is also heavily browsed by domestic goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s and other livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. Both uses have resulted in a significant decline in the species' abundance; formerly listed (1998) as not threatened, it has more recently (2005) been re-categorised as Near Threatened.