Key to Juniperus

View taxon page for Juniperus

(For a list of species in Juniperus, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Leaf awl- or needle-like, suberect to 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

but not 

appressed 

Parallel or nearly parallel to and often in contact with surface of origin; used to describe the disposition of hairs, leaves, pedicels, etc.

; pollen, seed cones 

axillary 

Pertaining to or within an axil, especially a leaf axil.

; shrub < 1 m (sect. Juniperus) ..... J. communis

2. Leaf 10–20+ mm; glaucous stomatal band ± 1–1.5 × as wide as green 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

 margin ..... var. depressa

2' Leaf 5–10(12) mm; glaucous stomatal band 2–4 × as wide as green leaf margin

3. Mature seed cone elongate to ± spheric; glaucous stomatal band 3–4 × as wide as green leaf margin ..... var. jackii

3' Mature seed cone spheric; glaucous stomatal band 2 × as wide as green leaf margin ..... var. saxatilis

1' Leaf generally scale-like, closely appressed; pollen, seed cones terminal; tree, shrub > 1 m (sect. Sabina)

4. Seed cone maturing blue-black; tree 5–15(30) m

5. Bark red-brown; leaves generally 

whorled 

Arranged in groups of three or more at nodes or positions along an axis (e.g., three leaves per node).

in 3s; generally dioecious; NCoRH, SNH, SnGb, SnBr, SNE, DMtns ..... J. grandis

5' Bark brown; leaves 

opposite 

1. Arranged in pairs along an axis - e.g., two leaves per node. 2. Occurring in the same rank, directly above or below, as 'stamens opposite petals'. 3. Located directly across from.

or whorled in 3s; generally ± monoecious; CaRH, MP ..... J. occidentalis

4' Seed cone maturing red-brown; shrub, tree 1–8(10) m

6. Leaf gland obvious; trunks several at base; generally dioecious ..... J. californica

6' Leaf gland obscure; trunk generally 1 at base; monoecious ..... J. osteosperma

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