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''Juniperus thurifera'', the spanish juniper, is a species of
juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...
native to the
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
s of the western Mediterranean region, from southern
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
(including
Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
) across eastern and central
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
to
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
and locally in northern
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
.Adams, R. P. (2004). ''Junipers of the World''. Trafford. Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys''. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The name ''thurifera'' comes from the Latin ''turifer'', "producer/bearer of incense". It is a large
shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
or
tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...
reaching tall, with a trunk up to in diameter and a broadly conical to rounded or irregular crown. The foliage is strongly aromatic with a spicy-resinous scent. The
leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
are of two forms: juvenile needle-like leaves long on seedlings and irregularly on adult plants, and adult-scale leaves 0.6–3 mm long on older plants; they are arranged in decussate opposite pairs. It is
dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...
with separate male and female plants. The cones are berry-like, 7–12 mm in diameter, blue-black with a whitish waxy bloom, and contain 1–4
seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...
s; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 3–4 mm long, and shed their pollen in early spring.Ecology and conservation of ''Juniperus thurifera'
''Juniperus thurifera'' website
/ref> There are two varieties, regarded as distinct by some authors, but not by others: *''Juniperus thurifera'' var. ''thurifera''. Spain, France. Mature cones 8–12 mm, with 2–4 seeds. *''Juniperus thurifera'' var. ''africana'' Maire. Morocco, Algeria. Mature cones 7–8 mm, with 1–2 seeds. Overall, the species is not considered threatened with healthy population in Spain; however, the African population is threatened by severe
overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature ...
, mainly by
goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...
s, and is listed as Endangered. The largest Spanish Juniper forest in Europe is in the Sierra de Solorio.El Sabinar más extenso de Europa
/ref> left, upTwigs with berries


References


Further reading

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1510186 thurifera Flora of North Africa Flora of Spain Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Dioecious plants