Juniperus saxicola description

Approximate distribution of J. saxicola.

Juniperus saxicola Britton et P. Wilson 1923

Common Names

Taxonomic notes

Syn.: J. barbadensis subsp. saxicola (Britton et P. Wilson) Borhidi 1992 (Farjon 1998). Type specimen León 10798 (NY) from Sierra Maestra, Oriente (Adams 1995).

Description

Tree or shrub 3-8 m tall. Leaves always needle-like, decurrent, spreading, 5-7 mm long and ca. 1 mm wide, scale leaves never present on adult trees (see Remarks). Seed cones dark blue with bloom, subglobose to reniform, 5 mm long, 3-4 mm diameter, 2 seeds per cone (Adams 1995).

Range

Cuba: Granma Province: on the rocky crests of the Sierra Maestra and Pico Turquino (Adams 1995).

Big Tree

Oldest

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

Observations

Representative specimens have been collected at the Cueva del Aura on Sierra Maestra, and on Pico Turquino (20° N, 17°50' W) at 1600-1700 m elevation on the steep rocks of Loma Regiona (the Pico's north spur) and on the summit of the Pico (Adams 1995).

Remarks

In Juniperus section Sabina, only young (up to 4 or 5 years) junipers have needle- or awn-shaped decurrent leaves. Scale-like leaves are then produced as the only adult foliage, except that juvenile foliage may occasionally appear at branch tips or in response to damage. There are two species that constitute exceptions to this rule: J. sabina (var. davurica) and J. squamata in the eastern hemisphere, and J. saxicola in the western (Adams 1995).