Juniperus grandis

Juniperus grandis, known as Sierra juniper, Sierra western juniper, and western juniper, is a tree or tall shrub that is endemic to the Western United States.[1][2][3][4] It is sometimes considered a variety of subspecies of Juniperus occidentalis, which is also known as western juniper.[5][4]

Juniperus grandis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Juniperus
Species:
J. grandis
Binomial name
Juniperus grandis
R.P.Adams
Natural range in light green (dark green is Juniperus occidentalis)
Synonyms

Juniperus occidentalis var. australis (Vasek) A.H. Holmgren & N.H. Holmgren

Description

Juniperus grandis is a medium-sized tree, growing 12–26 metres (39–85 ft) tall. It has a stout trunk with red-brown bark, growing up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in diameter.[1]

The whorled leaves are scale-like and closely appressed. Most plants are dioecious, but about 5–10% are monoecious.[1]

Its fleshy and berry-like cones are 5–9 mm diameter.[1] Its pollination period is May and June.[2] The seeds are wingless.

  • Leaves
  • Berry-like cones
  • Bark
  • Mature form

Distribution and habitat

Juniperus grandis is native to the Sierra Nevada in eastern California and western Nevada; and the White and Inyo Mountains, San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, and higher elevations of Mojave Desert mountains, in Southern California.[1][2]

It is found in exposed, dry, rocky slopes, flats, pinyon-juniper woodland, and Temperate coniferous forest habitats, including the Sierra Nevada upper montane forest and Sierra Nevada subalpine zone ecoregions. It grows at elevations of 100–3,100 metres (330–10,170 ft).[1]

References
  1. Jepson eFlora: Juniperus grandis . accessed 2.2.2017.
  2. CalFlora: Juniperus grandis
  3. USDA Plants Profile for Juniperus grandis (western juniper)
  4. Adams, R. P., S. Nguyen, J. A. Morris and A. E. Schwarzbach. 2006. Re-examination of the taxonomy of the one-seeded, serrate leaf Juniperus of southwestern United States and northern Mexico (Cupressaceae). Phytologia 88(3):299-310.
  5. "Juniperus grandis R.P.Adams". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
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