Juniperus phoenicea

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Juniperus phoenicea
Specimen from Roussillon, France

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
Section:
Juniperus sect. Sabina
Species:
J. phoenicea
Binomial name
Juniperus phoenicea
Natural range
Synonyms[2]
  • Cupressus devoniana Beissn.
  • Cupressus tetragona Humb. & Bonpl. ex Carrière
  • Juniperus bacciformis Carrière
  • Juniperus divaricata Carrière nom. inval.
  • Juniperus formosa Carrière nom. inval.
  • Juniperus langoldiana Gordon
  • Juniperus lycia L.
  • Juniperus malacocarpa Carrière
  • Juniperus myosuros Sénécl.
  • Juniperus myurus Beissn.
  • Juniperus terminalis Salisb. nom. illeg.
  • Juniperus tetragona Moench nom. illeg.
  • Oxycedrus licia Garsault
  • Sabina bacciformis (Carrière) Antoine
  • Sabina lycia (L.) Antoine
  • Sabina phoenicea (L.) Antoine
  • Sabinella phoenicea (L.) Nakai

Juniperus phoenicea, the Phoenicean juniper or Arâr,

Mediterranean region
.

Description

Juniperus phoenicea is a large evergreen

dioecious. The female cones are berrylike, 6–14 mm in diameter, orange-brown, occasionally with a pinkish waxy bloom, and contain 3–8 seeds
; they are mature in about 18 months, and are mainly dispersed by birds. The male cones are 2–4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring, which is then dispersed by wind.

Taxonomy

There are two varieties, treated as subspecies by some authors and as separate species by others:[4]

  • Juniperus phoenicea var. phoenicea = J. phoenicea. Throughout the range of the species. Cones globose, about as wide as long. Leaves are small and obtuse. Sheds pollen in the spring.
  • Juniperus phoenicea var. turbinata (syn. Juniperus turbinata). Confined to coastal sand dune habitats. Cones oval, narrower than long. Leaves are long and thin. Sheds pollen in the autumn.

Distribution and habitat

The species is found throughout the

the Palestine region and in western Saudi Arabia near the Red Sea, and also on Madeira and the Canary Islands. It mostly grows at low altitudes close to the coast, but reaches an altitude of 2,400 m (7,900 ft) in the south of its range in the Atlas Mountains
.

Ecology

The species prefers a hot, arid climate with a lot of light, and grows on rocky or sandy ground. Its preferred soil is calcareous with a

Red List of Threatened Species.[1]

Its habitat in coastal areas is most threatened by the presence of humans, both settled and touring. Humans also plant not-naturally-present plants such as pines, black locust, French tamarisk, desert false Indigo, American agave, tree of heaven, and some succulent plants from South Africa. The purpose of this is usually to stabilize the dunes, but these outside plants interfere with the natural vegetation. It is also threatened easily by fires, because it is quite flammable and does not regenerate well. This makes it necessary to plant new organisms after a fire has damaged the others.[7]

Uses

Further information: Juniper berry

Juniper berries are used as a

allergic reactions, and should be avoided during pregnancy.[8]

The tree's

heartwood contains an estimated 2.2% of thujopsene. The biochemist Jarl Runeburg noted in 1960 that J. phoenicea appears to be the most convenient source of thujopsene so far encountered."[5] Juniper wood is used for small manufactured objects and inlay works in carpentry, and in building construction in Africa where it is mainly used for fuel and producing charcoal.[6]

Culture

It is the vegetable symbol of the island of El Hierro.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T16348983A99965052.en
    . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 11 February 2017
  3. Tetraclinis articulata
  4. ^ "Juniperus turbinata". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  5. ^
    doi:10.3891/acta.chem.scand.14-1995
    .
  6. ^ a b c Caudullo, G.; de Rigo, D. (2016). "Juniperus phoenicea in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats" (PDF). European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. European Commission.
  7. S2CID 130032990
    .
  8. ^ a b c "Juniper". Drugs.com. 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  9. ^ Cornish, Chloe (19 November 2021). ""In tumultuous Lebanon, a bright spot in . . . gin-making"". The Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  10. S2CID 40114722
    .
  11. ^ "Pubchem Compound Database; CID 442402: Thujopsene". Pubchem, National Center for Biotechnology Information, US National Library of Medicine. 16 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  12. ^ Símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias [Natural Symbols for the Canary Islands] (Ley 7/1991) (in Spanish). Vol. 151. 30 April 1991. pp. 20946–20497 – via BOE.

External links

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