Scientific classification
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Pinales |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Genus: | Juniperus |
| Species: | J. macrocarpa |
Binomial name
Juniperus macrocarpa
Sibth. & Sm.
Juniperus macrocarpa (large-fruited juniper, syn. J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa (Sibth. & Sm.) Ball) is a species of juniper, native across the northern Mediterranean region from southwestern Spain[1] east to western Turkey and Cyprus, growing on coastal sand dunes from sea level up to 75 m altitude.[2][3]Foliage and immature cones, Paros Island, Greece
It is a spreading shrub 2–5 m tall, rarely a small tree up to 14 m tall. The leaves are broad lanceolate, produced in whorls of three, green, 12–20 mm long and 2–3 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, 12–18 mm diameter, and have six fused scales in two whorls, three of the scales 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 pollen cones are yellow, 2–3 mm long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in late winter.[2][3][4]
Despite its distinct morphology with large cones and broad leaves more like those of Juniperus drupacea, it has often been treated as a subspecies of Juniperus oxycedrus,[3] though recent genetic studies[2][5][6] have shown its DNA is distinct from that of J. oxycedrus.
Description
Juniperus oxycedrus is very variable in shape, forming a spreading shrub 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) tall to a small erect tree 10–15 m (33–49 ft) tall. It has needle-like leaves in whorls of three; the leaves are green, 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) broad, with a double white stomatal band (split by a green midrib) on the inner surface. It is usually 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, 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) diameter, and have three or six fused scales in 1-2 whorls, three of the scales 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 pollen cones are yellow, 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in late winter or early spring.[3][6][7]
As to be expected from the wide range, J. oxycedrus is very variable. One recent study[6][8][9] splits it into three species, though other authorities[3] do not accept this:
- Juniperus oxycedrus L. – Western prickly juniper. Southwest Europe, in eastern Portugal and Spain east to southern France, northwest Italy, Corsica, and Sardinia, and northwest Africa from Morocco east to Tunisia. Leaves long (10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in)), narrow-based; cones smooth.
- Juniperus navicularis Gand. (syn. J. oxycedrus subsp. transtagana) – Portuguese prickly juniper. Coastal southwest Portugal. Leaves short (5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in)); cones smooth.
- Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams – Eastern prickly juniper. Central Italy east to Iran and Israel. Leaves long (10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in)), broad-based; cones with raised scale edges.
Subspecies
An additional variety or subspecies J. oxycedrus var. badia H.Gay (syn. J. oxycedrus subsp. badia (H.Gay) Debeaux) is distinguished on the basis of larger cones (10–13 mm (0.39–0.51 in) diameter), tinged purple when mature; it is described from northern Algeria, and also reported from Portugal and Spain.[3][6]
A further species Juniperus macrocarpa,[6] confined to Mediterranean coastal sands, is more distinct but has also often been treated as a subspecies of Prickly Juniper, as J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa;[3] it differs in the broader leaves 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) wide, and larger cones 12–18 mm (0.47–0.71 in) diameter.
Other close relatives of J. oxycedrus include Juniperus brevifolia on the Azores, Juniperus cedrus on the Canary Islands and Juniperus formosana in eastern Asia.[3][6]
Uses
Cade oil is the essential oil obtained through destructive distillation of the wood of this shrub. It is a dark, aromatic oil with a strong smoky smell which is used in some cosmetics and (traditional) skin treatment drugs, as well as incense.[10][11] Cade oil has, on rare occasions, caused severe allergic reactions in infants.[12]
