Juniperus communis 歐刺柏

Common name: Common Juniper
Scientific name: Juniperus communis 歐刺柏
Genus: Juniperus 刺柏屬
Family: Cupressaceae 柏科, cypress family
Class: Pinopsida 松柏網
Divison: Pinophyta 松柏門

Origin: native

Date: 11th and 8th May (male and female cones)

[158] An evergreen tree or shrub, can grow to 10 m. (taken on 11th May)

[489] Another individual, in a prostrate spreading shrub. (not like a tree)

[488] Male cones could be seen in this individual, it is a male plant.

[391] Stem.

[157_1] Young vegetative bud. It is a bit orange in color. (taken on 11th May)

[383] Young vegetative bud.

The following photos are also different stages of vegetative buds:

[486_1]

[390_1]

[388_2] Vegetative buds and scales on the stem.

[390_2]

[388_3]

[387] Leaves are arranged in whorls or three (as indicated as red numbers 1, 2 and 3 above).

[485_1] Base of leaf is jointed or articulated.

[384_1] Leaves 5-15 mm, narrow, stiff.

[384_2] Leaves sharp-pointed. Inner surface with a vertical white stomatal band.

[383_2] Outer surface of leaves.

[382] Older twig showing the scales left on the stem.

[282_1] Enlarged photo above showing the scales left on the stem.

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Juniperus communis is dioecious, the following photos come from male plants:

[486] Male strobili on male plant.

[486_4] Enlarged photo above to show more clearly the male stobili.

[486_3] Very young male strobilus.

[486_1] Side view of a male strobilus. The purple structure is the microsporophylls whereas the attached orange ball-like structures are the microsporangia.

[486_2]

[482_1] The top view of an open male strobilus (top of the above photo)

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The following photos showing different stages of female strobili of female plant.

[392] Different stages of the female strobili of female plant.

[381] Young female strobili.

[394] Ripe female strobili, ready to open to expose the three micropyles and secrete the pollination drops to receive pollens from male plants.

[394_3] Enlarged photo above showing one female strobilus (megastrobilus). 

[394_2] Probably fertilized, as the terminal portion enlarged now.

[395] Side view of another fertilized female strobilus (seed cone).

[384] Further developing of the female seed cone.

[392] Maybe a later stage of the female seed cone as the uppermost scales seems to fuse together more tightly and the cone changes to purple in color.

[380] 6 scales fused together to form a fleshy female cone, resembling a berry. It is now covered with a white coating. The cone is green when young and beceomes blue-black when mature (took 18months to ripe, and have smell of gin)