Vascular Flora of the Southeastern United States
Hardin, Massey, Radford, Thieret, eds.
Copyright - James W. Hardin, Ph. D., 1998, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
5. JUNIPERUS L. JUNIPER, CEDAR
Dioecious, or rarely monoecious, shrubs or trees; bark reddish brown, fibrous, with vertical flat ridges. Branchlets and twigs variously oriented, not flattened. Leaves of two types: short-lanceolate (awl-shaped) in whorls of 3; and, scale-like, closely appressed, and usually decussate. Pollen cones oblong, small. Seed cones globose and "berry-like"; scale-bract complexes all fused, semi-fleshy, and indehiscent; seeds wingless, 1-3(6) per cone.
- 1 Leaves all awl-shaped and spreading; decumbent shrubs or rarely small trees..... 1. J. communis.
- 1 Leaves awl-shaped (juvenile) and scale-like or all scale-like; erect trees.
- 2 Scale leaves with margins serrulately fringed (as seen with magnification), with round gland or eglandular; seeds dark brown, 4 mm or more long..... 2. J. ashei.
- 2 Scale leaves entire (as seen with magnification), with elongated gland or rarely eglandular; seed tan to chestnut brown, 4 mm or less long. .... 3. J. virginiana.