Common juniper
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Common juniper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Coniferophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Cupressaceae Genus: Juniperus
Species
Juniperus communis

The Common juniper (Juniperus communis) is a shrub or small tree, very variable and often a low spreading shrub. It has the largest range of any woody plant, throughout the cool temperate Northern hemisphere from the Arctic south in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.

As to be expected from the wide range, it is very variable, with several infraspecific taxa:

• Juniperus communis subsp. communis - Common juniper
  • Juniperus communis subsp. communis var. communis - Europe, most of Asia; low to moderate altitude temperate
  • Juniperus communis subsp. communis var. depressa - North America; low to moderate altitude temperate
  • Juniperus communis subsp. communis var. nipponica - Japan; moderate altitudes (status uncertain, often treated as J. rigida var. nipponica)
• Juniperus communis subsp. alpina - Alpine juniper
  • Juniperus communis subsp. alpina var. alpina - Greenland, Europe & Asia, subarctic & high altitude temperate
  • Juniperus communis subsp. alpina var. megistocarpa - Eastern Canada, subarctic (doubtfully distinct from var. alpina)
  • Juniperus communis subsp. alpina var. jackii - Western North America, subarctic & high altitude temperate

Some botanists only treat subsp. alpina at the lower rank of variety, in which case the correct name is Juniperus communis var. saxatilis, though the name Juniperus communis var. montana is also seen.

Uses

It is commonly used in horticulture, but is too small to have any wood usage.

The original article can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_juniper.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.