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{{alternateuses}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Juniperus''
| image = Jeneverbes.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Juniperus communis'' shrubs <br>in [[Netherlands|The Netherlands]]
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Pinophyta]]
| classis = [[Pinophyta|Pinopsida]]
| ordo = [[Pinales]]
| familia = [[Cupressaceae]]
| genus = '''''Juniperus'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}

'''Junipers''' are [[conifer]]ous plants in the genus '''''Juniperus''''' of the cypress family [[Cupressaceae]]. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the [[Arctic]], south to tropical [[Africa]] in the [[Old World]], and to the mountains of [[Central America]] in the [[New World]].

[[Image:Jun com cones.jpg|left|thumb|Cones and leaves of ''Juniperus communis'']]
Junipers vary in size and shape from tall [[tree]]s, 20-40 m tall, to columnar or low spreading [[shrub]]s with long trailing branches. They are [[evergreen]] with either needle-like and/or scale-like [[leaf|leaves]]. They can be either [[Plant sexuality|monoecious]] or [[Plant sexuality|dioecious]]. The female [[Conifer cone|seed cones]] are very distinctive, with fleshy, [[fruit]]-like coalescing scales which fuse together to form a "berry"-like structure, 4-27 mm long, with 1-12 unwinged, hard-shelled [[seed]]s. In some species these "berries" are red-brown or orange but in most they are blue; they are often aromatic (for their use as a [[spice]], see [[juniper berry]]). The seed maturation time varies between species from 6-18 months after pollination. The male cones are similar to those of other Cupressaceae, with 6-20 scales; most shed their pollen in early spring, but some species pollinate in the autumn.
<br clear="left">
[[Image:Jun chin close.jpg|left|thumb|Detail of ''Juniperus chinensis'' shoots, with juvenile (needle-like) leaves (left), and adult scale leaves and immature male cones (right)]]
Many junipers (e.g. ''J. chinensis'', ''J. virginiana'') have two types of leaves: seedlings and some twigs of older trees have needle-like leaves 5-25 mm long; and the leaves on mature plants are (mostly) tiny (2-4 mm long), overlapping and scale-like. When juvenile foliage occurs on mature plants, it is most often found on shaded shoots, with adult foliage in full sunlight. Leaves on fast-growing 'whip' shoots are often intermediate between juvenile and adult.

In some species (e.g. ''J. communis'', ''J. squamata''), all the foliage is of the juvenile needle-like type, with no scale leaves. In some of these (e.g. ''J. communis''), the needles are jointed at the base, in others (e.g. ''J. squamata''), the needles merge smoothly with the stem, not jointed.

The needle-leaves of junipers are hard and sharp, making the juvenile foliage very prickly to handle. This can be a valuable identification feature in seedlings, as the otherwise very similar juvenile foliage of cypresses (''[[Cupressus]], [[Chamaecyparis]]'') and other related genera is soft and not prickly.

Juniper is the exclusive food plant of the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including ''[[Bucculatricidae|Bucculatrix inusitata]]'' and [[Juniper Carpet]] and is also eaten by the larvae of other Lepidoptera species such as ''[[Chionodes|Chionodes electella]]'', ''[[Chionodes|Chionodes viduella]]'', [[Juniper Pug]] and [[Pine Beauty]].

===Classification===
The number of juniper species is disputed, with two recent studies giving very different totals, Farjon (2001) accepting 52 species, and Adams (2004) accepting 67 species. The junipers are divided into several sections, though (particularly among the scale-leaved species) which species belong to which sections is still far from clear, with research still on-going. The section ''Juniperus'' is an obvious [[monophyletic]] group though.

*'''''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus'':''' Needle-leaf junipers. The adult leaves are needle-like, in whorls of three, and jointed at the base (see below right).
**''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus'' subsect. ''Juniperus'': Cones with 3 separate seeds; needles with one stomatal band.
***''[[Juniperus communis]]'' - Common Juniper
****''Juniperus communis'' subsp. ''alpina'' - Alpine Juniper
***''[[Juniperus rigida|Juniperus conferta]]'' - Shore Juniper (syn. ''J. rigida'' var. ''conferta'')
***''[[Juniperus rigida]]'' - Temple Juniper or Needle Juniper
**''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus'' subsect. ''Oxycedrus'': Cones with 3 separate seeds; needles with two stomatal bands.
***''[[Juniperus brevifolia]]'' - Azores Juniper
***''[[Juniperus cedrus]]'' - Canary Islands Juniper
***''[[Juniperus oxycedrus|Juniperus deltoides]]'' - Eastern Prickly Juniper
***''[[Juniperus formosana]]'' - Chinese Prickly Juniper
***''[[Juniperus lutchuensis]]'' - Ryukyu Juniper
***''[[Juniperus oxycedrus|Juniperus navicularis]]'' - Portuguese Prickly Juniper
***''[[Juniperus oxycedrus]]'' - Western Prickly Juniper or Cade Juniper
***''[[Juniperus macrocarpa]]'' (''J. oxycedrus'' subsp. ''macrocarpa'') - Large-berry Juniper
**''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus'' subsect. ''Caryocedrus'': Cones with 3 seeds fused together; needles with two stomatal bands.
***''[[Juniperus drupacea]]'' - Syrian Juniper

[[Image:Juniper needles.jpg|right|thumb|Juniper needles, magnified. Left, ''Juniperus communis'' (''Juniperus'' sect. ''Juniperus''; note needles 'jointed' at base). Right, ''Juniperus chinensis'' (''Juniperus'' sect. ''Sabina''; note needles merging smoothly with the stem, not jointed at base).]]
[[Image:El Hierro Sabinar.JPG|thumb|right|''Juniperus phoenicea'' on [[El Hierro]], [[Canary Islands]]]]
[[Image:Juniper berries q.jpg|right|thumb|An Eastern Juniper in October laden with ripe cones.]]
*'''''Juniperus'' sect. ''Sabina'':''' Scale-leaf junipers. The adult leaves are mostly scale-like, similar to those of ''[[Cupressus]]'' species, in opposite pairs or whorls of three, and the juvenile needle-like leaves are not jointed at the base (including in the few that have only needle-like leaves; see below right). Provisionally, all the other junipers are included here, though they form a [[paraphyletic]] group.
**'''Old World species
***''[[Juniperus chinensis]]'' - Chinese Juniper
****''Juniperus chinensis'' var. ''sargentii'' - Sargent's Juniper
***''[[Juniperus convallium]]'' - Mekong Juniper
***''[[Juniperus excelsa]]'' - Greek Juniper
****''Juniperus excelsa'' subsp. ''polycarpos'' - Persian Juniper
***''[[Juniperus foetidissima]]'' - Stinking Juniper
***''[[Juniperus indica]]'' - Black Juniper
***''[[Juniperus komarovii]]'' - Komarov's Juniper
***''[[Juniperus phoenicea]]'' - Phoenicean Juniper
***''[[Juniperus procera]]'' - East African Juniper
***''[[Juniperus procumbens]]'' - Ibuki Juniper
***''[[Juniperus pseudosabina]]'' - Xinjiang Juniper
***''[[Juniperus recurva]]'' - Himalayan Juniper
****''Juniperus recurva'' var. ''coxii'' - Cox's Juniper
***''[[Juniperus sabina]]'' - Savin Juniper
****''Juniperus sabina'' var. ''davurica'' - Daurian Juniper
***''[[Juniperus saltuaria]]'' - Sichuan Juniper
***''[[Juniperus semiglobosa]]'' - Russian Juniper
***''[[Juniperus squamata]]'' - Flaky Juniper
***''[[Juniperus thurifera]]'' - Spanish Juniper
***''[[Juniperus tibetica]]'' - Tibetan Juniper
***''[[Juniperus wallichiana]]'' - Himalayan Black Juniper
**'''New World species
***''[[Juniperus angosturana]]'' - Mexican One-seed Juniper
***''[[Juniperus ashei]]'' - Ashe Juniper
***''[[Juniperus barbadensis]]'' - West Indies Juniper
***''[[Juniperus bermudiana]]'' - Bermuda Juniper
***''[[Juniperus blancoi]]'' - Blanco's Juniper
***''[[Juniperus californica]]'' - California Juniper
***''[[Juniperus coahuilensis]]'' - Coahuila Juniper
***''[[Juniperus comitana]]'' - Comitán Juniper
***''[[Juniperus deppeana]]'' - Alligator Juniper
***''[[Juniperus durangensis]]'' - Durango Juniper
***''[[Juniperus flaccida]]'' - Mexican Weeping Juniper
***''[[Juniperus gamboana]]'' - Gamboa Juniper
***''[[Juniperus horizontalis]]'' - Creeping Juniper
***''[[Juniperus jaliscana]]'' - Jalisco Juniper
***''[[Juniperus monosperma]]'' - One-seed Juniper
***''[[Juniperus monticola]]'' - Mountain Juniper
***''[[Juniperus occidentalis]]'' - Western Juniper
****''Juniperus occidentalis'' subsp. ''australis'' - Sierra Juniper
***''[[Juniperus osteosperma]]'' - Utah Juniper
***''[[Juniperus pinchotii]]'' - Pinchot Juniper
***''[[Juniperus saltillensis]]'' - Saltillo Juniper
***''[[Juniperus scopulorum]]'' - Rocky Mountain Juniper
***''[[Juniperus standleyi]]'' - Standley's Juniper
***''[[Juniperus virginiana]]'' - Eastern Juniper (Eastern Redcedar)
****''Juniperus virginiana'' subsp. ''silicicola'' - Southern Juniper

===Cultivation and uses===

[[Juniper berries]] are a spice used in a wide variety of culinary dishes and best known for the primary flavoring in [[gin]] (and responsible for gin's name, which is a shortening of the Dutch word for Juniper: genever). Juniper berries are also used as the primary flavor in the liquor [[Jenever]] and [[sahti]]-style of beers. Juniper berry sauce is often a popular flavoring choice for quail, pheasant, veal, rabbit and other meat dishes.

Many of the earliest prehistoric people lived in or near juniper forests which furnished them food, fuel, and wood for shelter or utensils. Many species, such as ''J. chinensis'' (Chinese Juniper) from eastern [[Asia]], are extensively used in landscaping and [[horticulture]], and as one of the most popular species of [[bonsai]]. It is also a symbol of longevity.

Some junipers are susceptible to ''[[Gymnosporangium]]'' rust disease, and can be a serious problem for those people growing [[apple]] trees, the alternate [[host (biology)|host]] of the disease.

Some juniper trees are misleadingly given the common name "cedar"-- including the "red cedar" that is used widely in cedar drawers. True cedars are those tree species in the genus [[cedar|''Cedrus'']], family [[Pinaceae]].

==References==
{{Commons|Juniperus}}
*Adams, R. P. (2004). ''Junipers of the World: The genus Juniperus''. Victoria: Trafford. ISBN 1-4120-4250-X
*Farjon, A. (2001). ''World Checklist and Bibliography of Conifers''. Kew. ISBN 1-84246-025-0
*Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys''. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 1-84246-068-4
* [http://www.juniperus.org/ Junipers of the world]
* [http://www.conifers.org/cu/ju/index.htm Gymnosperm Database - Juniperus]
* [http://www.pinetum.org/cones/JUcones.htm Arboretum de Villardebelle] Photos of cones and foliage of selected species

[[Category:Juniperus]]
[[Category:Flora of Greenland]]
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