Descriptions
It is a shrub, very variable in shape, reaching 1–4 m tall. The leaves are of two forms, juvenile needle-like leaves 5–10 mm long, and adult scale-leaves 1–2 mm long on slender shoots 0.8–1 mm thick. Juvenile leaves are found mainly on seedlings but mature shrubs sometimes continue to bear some juvenile leaves as well as adult, particularly on shaded shoots low in the crown. It is largely dioecious with separate male and female plants, but some individual plants produce both sexes. The cones are berry-like, 5–9 mm in diameter, blue-black with a whitish waxy bloom, and contain 1-3 (rarely 4 or 5) seeds; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 2–4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring.
There are two varieties, treated by some botanists as distinct species:
- Juniperus sabina var. sabina. Juvenile foliage rare in adult plants.
- Juniperus sabina var. davurica (Pallas) Farjon (syn. J. davurica Pallas). Juvenile foliage frequent in adult plants.
Juniperus sabina is a popular ornamental shrub in gardens and parks, with numerous named cultivars selected.
The hybrid between Juniperus chinensis and Juniperus sabina, known as Juniperus × pfitzeriana (Pfitzer Juniper, synonym J. × media), is found in the wild where the two species meet in northwestern China, and is also very common as a cultivated ornamental plant. It is a larger shrub, growing to 3–6 m tall.
All parts of the plant are poisonous due to several toxic compounds including ethereal oils.
This plant is the alternate (telial) host of the Pear Rust fungus Gymnosporangium fuscum.
Read more about this topic: Juniperus Sabina
Famous quotes containing the word descriptions:
“Matter-of-fact descriptions make the improbable seem real.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“Our Lamaze instructor . . . assured our class . . . that our cervix muscles would become “naturally numb” as they swelled and stretched, and deep breathing would turn the final explosions of pain into “manageable discomfort.” This descriptions turned out to be as accurate as, say a steward advising passengers aboard the Titanic to prepare for a brisk but bracing swim.”
—Mary Kay Blakely (20th century)
“The fundamental laws of physics do not describe true facts about reality. Rendered as descriptions of facts, they are false; amended to be true, they lose their explanatory force.”
—Nancy Cartwright (b. 1945)