Juniperus macrocarpa

Taxobox
name = "Juniperus macrocarpa"
status = LR/lc

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Juniperus macrocarpa" in Sardinia
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Pinophyta
classis = Pinopsida
ordo = Pinales
familia = Cupressaceae
genus = "Juniperus"
species = "J. macrocarpa"
binomial = "Juniperus macrocarpa"
binomial_authority = Sibth. & Sm.

"Juniperus macrocarpa" (Large-fruited Juniper, syn. "J. oxycedrus" subsp. "macrocarpa" (Sibth. & Sm.) Ball) is a species of juniper, native across the northern Mediterranean region from southeastern Spain east to western Turkey and Cyprus, growing on coastal sand dunes from sea level up to 75 m altitude.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]

It is a spreading shrub 2-5 m tall, rarely a small tree up to 14 m tall. The leaves are broad lanceolate, produced in whorls of three, green, 12-20 mm long and 2-3 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 orange-red with a variable pink waxy coating; they are spherical, 12-18 mm diameter, and have six fused scales in two whorls, three of the scales 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, 2-3 mm long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in late winter. [Arboretum de Villardebelle: [http://www.pinetum.org/cones/JUcones.htm photos of cones and shoots] ]

Despite its distinct morphology with large cones and broad leaves more like those of "Juniperus drupacea", it is widely treated as a subspecies of "Juniperus oxycedrus", though recent genetic studiesAdams, R. P. (2000). Systematics of "Juniperus" section "Juniperus" based on leaf essential oils and RAPD DNA fingerprinting. "Biochem. Syst. Ecol". 28: 515-528. [http://www.juniperus.org/AdamsPapersPDFFiles/160-2000bBIOCH28515.pdf available online (pdf file)] ] have shown its DNA is distinct from that of "J. oxycedrus".

References