Juniperus brevifolia

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Juniperus brevifolia
Brezales y helechos. (1355390865).jpg
Juniperus brevifolia on the humid montane dwarf forests of Pico Island
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Cupressales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Juniperus
Section: Juniperus sect. Juniperus
Species:
J. brevifolia
Binomial name
Juniperus brevifolia
In the Special Protection Area of Zona Central do Pico, Azores Lagoa do Capitao com montanha do pico.jpg
In the Special Protection Area of Zona Central do Pico, Azores

Juniperus brevifolia, the Azores juniper, is a species of juniper, endemic to the Azores (on Corvo, Faial, Flores, Pico, Santa Maria, São Jorge, São Miguel, and Terceira), where it occurs at altitudes of 240–800 metres (790–2,620 feet), rarely up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft). It is closely related to Juniperus oxycedrus (prickly juniper) of the Mediterranean region and Juniperus cedrus (Canary Islands juniper) of the neighboring Macaronesian islands. It is threatened by habitat loss. [2] [3] [1]

It is a shrub or small tree growing to a height of 6 m (20 ft) and a trunk diameter up to 50 centimetres (20 in). The leaves are evergreen, needle-like, in whorls of three, glaucous green, 4–10 millimetres (1412 in) long and 1–3 mm broad, with a double white stomatal band (split by a green midrib) on the inner surface. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The seed cones are berry-like, green ripening in 18 months to orange-red with a variable pink waxy coating; they are spherical, 6–9 mm diameter, and have three or six fused scales in one or two whorls of three, the three larger scales each with a single seed. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The male cones are yellow, 2–3 mm long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in early spring. [2] [3]

This is a vulnerable species in its native range due to a combination of historical felling for the valuable wood and competition from invasive introduced plants. [1]

Habitat fragmentation

On the island of Graciosa, Juniperus brevifolia has gone extinct, and on the other islands, it remains endangered. [4] The decline in population is due to habitat fragmentations of its preferred habitat (laurel forest) caused by island colonization and grazing pressures. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Juniperus oxycedrus</i> Species of plant

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<i>Juniperus drupacea</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Juniperus californica</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Juniperus horizontalis</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Juniperus recurva</i> Species of juniper

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<i>Juniperus procumbens</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Juniperus squamata</i> Species of Juniper

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<i>Juniperus cedrus</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Juniperus flaccida</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Juniperus rigida</i> Species of conifer

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<i>Juniperus semiglobosa</i> Species of juniper

Juniperus semiglobosa, the Himalayan pencil juniper, is a species of juniper native to the mountains of Central Asia, in northeastern Afghanistan, westernmost China (Xinjiang), northern Pakistan, southeastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, western Nepal, northern India, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It grows at altitudes of 1,550–4,420 metres.

<i>Juniperus standleyi</i> Species of conifer

Juniperus standleyi is a species of juniper native to Guatemala and the adjacent extreme southeast of Mexico, where it occurs at elevations of 3,000–4,250 metres. Its local common names include huitó, cipres, and huitum.

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<i>Juniperus lutchuensis</i> Species of conifer

Juniperus lutchuensis or Ryūkyū juniper is a species of juniper native to the Ryūkyū Islands, Izu Islands, Izu Peninsula, and Bōsō Peninsula, Japan.

<i>Juniperus macrocarpa</i> Species of conifer

Juniperus macrocarpa is a species of juniper, native across the northern Mediterranean region from southwestern Spain east to western Turkey and Cyprus, growing on coastal sand dunes from sea level up to 75 metres in altitude. A single, isolated tree is found further west, in a cliff in southern Portugal.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Thomas, P. (2018) [errata version of 2011 assessment]. "Juniperus brevifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2011: e.T30326A136559787. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T30326A9536313.en . Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 Adams, R. P. (2004). Junipers of the World. Trafford. ISBN   1-4120-4250-X
  3. 1 2 Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN   1-84246-068-4
  4. 1 2 Bettencourt, Sílvia Xavier; Mendonça, Duarte; Lopes, Maria Susana; Rocha, Sara; Monjardino, Paulo; Monteiro, Lisandra; da Câmara Machado, Artur (April 2015). "Genetic diversity and population structure of the endemic Azorean juniper, Juniperus brevifolia (Seub.) Antoine, inferred from SSRs and ISSR markers". Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 59: 314–324. Bibcode:2015BioSE..59..314B. doi:10.1016/j.bse.2015.02.003.
  5. Fernández-Palacios, José María; de Nascimento, Lea; Otto, Rüdiger; Delgado, Juan D.; García-del-Rey, Eduardo; Arévalo, José Ramón; Whittaker, Robert J. (10 December 2010). "A reconstruction of Palaeo-Macaronesia, with particular reference to the long-term biogeography of the Atlantic island laurel forests". Journal of Biogeography. 38 (2): 226–246. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02427.x. S2CID   86477003.