Juniperus taxifolia

Taxobox
name = "Juniperus taxifolia"
status = DD
status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Pinophyta
classis = Pinopsida
ordo = Pinales
familia = Cupressaceae
genus = "Juniperus"
species = "J. taxifolia"
binomial = "Juniperus taxifolia"
binomial_authority = Hook. & Arn.

"Juniperus taxifolia" (Bonin Islands Juniper; Japanese: シマムロ "Shimamuro") is a species of juniper, endemic to the Bonin Islands southeast of Japan.Adams, R. P. (2004). "Junipers of the World". Trafford. ISBN 1-4120-4250-X] Farjon, A. (2005). "Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4] Yasushi laboratory: [http://plantdb.ipc.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/php/view.php?plant_id=5918&data_id=20873&cat_id=&srt= "Juniperus taxifolia"] (in Japanese; [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://plantdb.ipc.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/php/view.php%3Fplant_id%3D5918%26data_id%3D20873%26cat_id%3D%26srt%3D&sa=X&oi=translate& google translation] )]

It is an evergreen coniferous shrub growing to a height of 1-3 m (rarely a small tree to 13 m tall). The leaves are needle-like, in whorls of three, light green, 7-14 mm long and 1-1.5 mm broad, with a double white stomatal band (split by a green midrib) on the inner surface. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The seed cones are berry-like, green ripening in 18 months to reddish-brown with a variable light waxy coating; they are spherical, 8-10 mm diameter, and have six or nine fused scales in two or three whorls of three; the three larger scales each with a single seed. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The pollen cones are yellow, 5 mm long.

Some authors include "Juniperus lutchuensis" from the Ryukyu Islands in "J. taxifolia" as a synonym, or variety,Yasushi laboratory: [http://plantdb.ipc.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/php/view.php?plant_id=5919 "Juniperus taxifolia" var. "lutchuensis"] (in Japanese; [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://plantdb.ipc.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/php/view.php%3Fplant_id%3D5919&sa=X&oi=translate& google translation] )] while others treat it as a distinct species as it has a distinct DNA profile.

Its conservation status, previously given as Data Deficient,Conifer Specialist Group (2000): [http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/32042/all "Juniperus taxifolia"] ] is now listed as Vulnerable.

References