Juniperus flaccida

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Juniperus flaccida
J. flaccida in Big Bend National Park

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order:
Cupressales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Juniperus
Species:
J. flaccida
Binomial name
Juniperus flaccida
Natural range of Juniperus flaccida

Juniperus flaccida (drooping juniper, weeping juniper or Mexican juniper; Native American names include tláscal) is a large shrub or small tree reaching 5–10 metres (16–33 feet) (rarely to 15 m) tall. It is native to central and northern Mexico (from Oaxaca northward) and the extreme southwest of Texas, United States (Brewster County). It grows at moderate altitudes of 800–2,600 metres (2,600–8,500 feet), on dry soils.

The

dioecious
, producing cones of only one sex on each tree.

There are three varieties, not accepted as distinct by all authorities:

  • Juniperus flaccida var. flaccida. Throughout the range of the species. Cones 9–15 mm diameter, with inconspicuous scale margins.
  • Juniperus flaccida var. martinezii. Restricted to a small area in Jalisco. Cones 6–8 mm diameter, with inconspicuous scale margins.
  • Juniperus flaccida var. poblana. Throughout the southern two thirds of the range of the species. Cones 12–20 mm diameter, with conspicuous scale margins.

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