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FNA | Family List | FNA Vol. 2 | Cupressaceae | Juniperus

5. Juniperus virginiana Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1039. 1753.

Eastern redcedar, genévrier rouge

Trees dioecious, to 30 m, single-stemmed; crown narrowly erect to conical, round, or flattened. Bark brown, exfoliating in thin strips, that of small branchlets (5--10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets usually not exfoliating in plates. Branches pendulous to ascending; branchlets generally erect, sometimes lax to flaccid, 3--4-sided in cross section, ca. 2/3 or less as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves green but sometimes turning reddish brown in winter, abaxial gland elliptic or elongate, conspicuous, exudate absent, margins entire (at 20´ and 40´); whip leaves 3--6 mm, not glaucous adaxially; scalelike leaves 1--3 mm, overlapping by more than 1/4 their length, keeled, apex obtuse to acute, spreading. Seed cones maturing in 1 year, of 1 size, generally with straight peduncles, globose to ovoid, 3--6(--7) mm, blue-black to brownish blue when mature, glaucous, soft and resinous, with 1--2(--3) seeds. Seeds 1.5--4 mm.

Varieties 2: only in the flora.


1 Seed cones 4-6(-7) mm; crown narrowly erect to conic or round; bark reddish brown; scalelike leaves acute at apex; pollen cones 3-4 mm.   5a var. virginiana
+ Seed cones 3-4 mm; crown flattened; bark cinnamon reddish; scalelike leaves bluntly obtuse to acute at apex; pollen cones 4-5 mm.   5b var. silicicola

Lower Taxa


 

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