- Juniperus cedrus
Taxobox
name = "Juniperus cedrus"
status = EN
status_system = iucn2.3
image_width = 240px
image_caption =
regnum =Plant ae
divisio =Pinophyta
classis = Pinopsida
ordo =Pinales
familia =Cupressaceae
genus = "Juniperus "
species = "J. cedrus"
binomial = "Juniperus cedrus"
binomial_authority = Webb & Berthel."Juniperus cedrus" (Canary Islands Juniper) is a species of
juniper , native to the westernCanary Islands (Tenerife ,La Palma ,Gran Canaria ,Gomera ) andMadeira , where it occurs at altitudes of 500-2400 m. It is closely related to "Juniperus oxycedrus " (Prickly Juniper) of theMediterranean region and "Juniperus brevifolia " (Azores Juniper) of theAzores .It is a large
shrub ortree growing to a height of 5-20 m (rarely 25 m). The leaves areevergreen , needle-like, in whorls of three, green to glaucous-green, 8-23 mm long and 1-2 mm broad, with a double white stomatal band (split by a green midrib) on the inner surface. It is usually dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The seed cones areberry -like, green ripening in 18 months to orange-red with a variable pink waxy coating; they are spherical, 8-15 mm diameter, and have six fused scales in two whorls of three; the three larger scales each with a singleseed . The seeds are dispersed whenbird s eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The male cones are yellow, 2-3 mm long, and fall soon after shedding theirpollen in February-March.It is endangered in its native range due to a combination of historical felling for the valuable wood, and overgrazing by
goat s. It has been fully protected since 1953 and populations are very slowly recovering. Historical reports suggest trees up to 30 m tall occurred in the past; trees over 10 m are very rare now and confined to inaccessible cliffs.It is occasionally grown as an
ornamental tree in warm temperate climates, includingNew Zealand , theBritish Isles andCalifornia , but is not common in cultivation. There are also some small experimentalplantation s on the Canary Islands, where it has shown fast growth in good conditions, reaching about 14-15 m tall in 40 years.References and external links
* [http://www.conifers.org/cu/ju/cedrus.htm Gymnosperm Database: "Juniperus cedrus"]
*Photos of [http://www.pinetum.org/PhotoMPF4.htm tree] and [http://www.pinetum.org/cones/JUcedrus2.jpgcones]
*Farjon, A. (2005). "A Monograph of Cupressaceae" (p. 255).
* Listed as Endangered (EN B1+2c, D v2.3)
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