Table of Contents
Overview
Distribution
States or Provinces
United States
| TX |
Mexico
| Chih. | Coah. | Jal. | Mich. | Mor. | N.L. | Oax. | Pue. | Son. | Tamps. |
| Zac. |
Trusted
Regional Distribution in the Western United States
This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [9]:
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
- 9. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]
Trusted
- 3. Adams, Robert P.; Zanoni, Thomas A.; Hogge, Lawrence. 1984. The volatile leaf oils of Juniperus flaccida var. flaccida and var. poblana. Journal of Natural Products. 47(6): 1064-1065. [65726]
- 14. Farjon, Alijos. 1998. World checklist and bibliography of conifers. 2nd ed. Kew, England: The Royal Botanic Gardens. 309 p. [61059]
- 20. Jones, Stanley D.; Wipff, Joseph K.; Montgomery, Paul M. 1997. Vascular plants of Texas. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 404 p. [28762]
- 27. Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agric. Handb. 541. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 375 p. [2952]
- 33. Powell, A. Michael. 1988. Trees and shrubs of Trans-Pecos Texas: Including Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Big Bend National Park, TX: Big Bend Natural History Association. 536 p. [6130]
- 37. Simpson, Benny J. 1988. A field guide to Texas trees. Austin, TX: Texas Monthly Press. 372 p. [11708]
- 38. Standley, P. C. 1924. Trees and shrubs of Mexico. Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Press. 23: 849-1312. [20916]
- 44. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
- 47. Zanoni, Thomas A.; Adams, Robert P. 1975. The genus Juniperus (Cupressaceae) in Mexico and Guatemala: numerical and morphological analysis. Boletin de la Sociedad Botanica de Mexico. 35: 69-91. [20641]
- 48. Zanoni, Thomas A.; Adams, Robert P. 1976. The genus Juniperus in Mexico and Guatemala: numerical and chemosystematic analysis. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 4: 147-158. [19991]
- 15. Flora of North America Association. 2007. Flora of North America: The flora, [Online]. Flora of North America Association (Producer). Available: http://www.fna.org/FNA. [36990]
- 21. Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. 1999. Synthesis of the North American flora (Windows Version 1.0), [CD-ROM]. In: North Carolina Botanical Garden (Producer). In cooperation with: The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [36715]
Trusted
Localities documented in Tropicos sources
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)
Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
-
SPECIMEN BASED RECORD. Published protolog data.
http://www.tropicos.org/Reference/9990002
-
Anonymous. 1986. List-Based Rec., Soil Conserv. Serv., U.S.D.A. Database of the U.S.D.A., Beltsville.
http://www.tropicos.org/Reference/1103
-
Zanoni, T. A. 1982. Cupressaceae. Fl. Veracruz 23: 1–15.
http://www.tropicos.org/Reference/37496
-
Zanoni, T. A. & R. P. Adams. 1979. The genus Juniperus (Cupressaceae) in Mexico and Guatemala: Synonymy, Key, and Distributions of the taxa. Bol. Soc. Bot. México 38: 83–131.
http://www.tropicos.org/Reference/7295
-
García-Mendoza, A. J. & J. Meave del Castillo. 2011. Divers. Florist. Oaxaca 1–351. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria.
http://www.tropicos.org/Reference/100009052
© Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
Source:
Missouri Botanical Garden
Trusted
National Distribution
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Physical Description
Morphology
Description
This description provides characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology, and is not meant for identification. An identification key is available [44].
Drooping juniper is a native small tree or large shrub that is slow growing and long-lived [42]. Height at maturity usually ranges from 25 to 30 feet (7.6-9.1 m) [37,44]. The national champion tree occurs in Juniper Canyon and is 55 feet (17 m) tall with a crown spread of 35 feet (11 m) and a circumference of 8.5 feet (2.5 m) [4]. Juniperus flaccida var. flaccida reaches a maximum height of 39 feet (12 m) [15]. The most conspicuous character of drooping juniper is its pendant branchlets [33,44]. Young drooping juniper trees usually have a narrow rounded crown. The bark is deeply furrowed and shreds into long strips [44]. The globose, berrylike cone is from 0.25 to 0.5 inch (0.63-1.3 cm) in diameter [44]. Each drooping juniper cone contains from 4 to 12 seeds (usually 6-8) that are 0.12 to 0.25 inch long [33,38,44]. The cones of J. f. var. flaccida contain from 4 to 13 (usually 6-10) seeds [15]. Drooping juniper cones collected by Adams [2] in the Chisos Mountains averaged 8.35 seeds/cone.
Toxicity: The leaves of J. f. var. flaccida and J. f. var. poblana contain volatile oils [1,3]. The composition of volatile leaf oils in both varieties is available [3].
- 1. Adams, R. P. 1972. Chemosystematic and numerical studies of natural populations of Juniperus pinchotii Sudw. Taxon. 21(4): 407-427. [20001]
- 2. Adams, Robert P. 1973. Reevaluation of the biological status of Juniperus deppeana var. sperryi Correll. Brittonia. 25(3): 284-289. [5789]
- 3. Adams, Robert P.; Zanoni, Thomas A.; Hogge, Lawrence. 1984. The volatile leaf oils of Juniperus flaccida var. flaccida and var. poblana. Journal of Natural Products. 47(6): 1064-1065. [65726]
- 33. Powell, A. Michael. 1988. Trees and shrubs of Trans-Pecos Texas: Including Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Big Bend National Park, TX: Big Bend Natural History Association. 536 p. [6130]
- 37. Simpson, Benny J. 1988. A field guide to Texas trees. Austin, TX: Texas Monthly Press. 372 p. [11708]
- 38. Standley, P. C. 1924. Trees and shrubs of Mexico. Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Press. 23: 849-1312. [20916]
- 42. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States, their erosion-control and wildlife values. Misc. Publ. No. 303. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
- 44. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
- 4. American Forests. 2007. Drooping juniper: Juniperus flaccida. In: National register of big trees, [Online]. Available: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/bigtrees/ [2007, April 24]. [66537]
- 15. Flora of North America Association. 2007. Flora of North America: The flora, [Online]. Flora of North America Association (Producer). Available: http://www.fna.org/FNA. [36990]
Trusted
Physical Description
Stephen C. Meyers
Source:
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database
Trusted
Description
© Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Source:
Missouri Botanical Garden
Trusted
Type Information
Catalog Number: US 1205343
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Verification Degree: Verified from the card file of type specimens
Preparation: Pressed specimen
Collector(s): C. Ehrenberg
Locality: E of Monserrat, Mexico, Central America
- Syntype: Schlechter, F. R. R. 1838. Linnaea. 12: 495.
© Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Trusted
Ecology
Habitat
Key Plant Community Associations
In the Chisos Mountains, drooping juniper occurs in moist woodlands, pine-oak
(Pinus-Quercus ssp.) woodlands, and oak scrub.
Species other than those listed above with which drooping juniper occurs with include
the tree species Mexican pinyon (P. cembroides), Grave's oak (Q. gravesii), gray
oak (Q. grisea), Emory oak (Q. emoryi), alligator juniper (J.
deppeana), Texas madrone (Arbutus xalapensis), and bigtooth maple
(Acer grandidentatum); the shrub species Wright silktassel (Garrya wrightii),
mountain sage (Salvia regla), fragrant sumac (Rhus
aromatica), Harvard's century plant (Agave havardiana), foothill beargrass (Nolina
erumpens), dwarf oak (Q. intricata), featherplume (Dalea formosa),
and damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana); and the grass species pinyon ricegrass (Piptochaetium
fimbriatum), Mediterranean lovegrass (Eragrostis
barrelieri), bullgrass (Muhlenberis emersleyi), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula),
and Big Bend bluegrass (Poa strictiramea) [1,10,29,32,45].
- 1. Adams, R. P. 1972. Chemosystematic and numerical studies of natural populations of Juniperus pinchotii Sudw. Taxon. 21(4): 407-427. [20001]
- 10. Dick-Peddie, William A.; Alberico, Michael S. 1977. Fire ecology study of the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas: Phase I. CDRI Contribution No. 35. Alpine, TX: The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. 47 p. [5002]
- 32. Plumb, Gregory A. 1992. Vegetation classification of Big Bend National Park, Texas. Texas Journal of Science. 44(4): 375-387. [20091]
- 45. Wauer, Roland H. 1971. Ecological distribution of birds of the Chisos Mountains, Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist. 16(1): 1-29. [24969]
- 29. Moir, William H. 1980. Forest and woodland vegetation monitoring, Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas: Baseline 1978. Contribution No. 83. [Fort Davis, TX]: Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. 63 p. [20380]
Trusted
Habitat: Rangeland Cover Types
This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):
More info for the term: cover
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [36]:
504 Juniper-pinyon pine woodland
- 36. Shiflet, Thomas N., ed. 1994. Rangeland cover types of the United States. Denver, CO: Society for Range Management. 152 p. [23362]
Trusted
Habitat: Cover Types
This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):
More info for the term: cover
SAF COVER TYPES [13]:
239 Pinyon-juniper
241 Western live oak
- 13. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
Trusted
Habitat: Plant Associations
This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):
KUCHLER [24] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:
K031 Oak-juniper woodland
K054 Grama-tobosa prairie
- 24. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
Trusted
Habitat characteristics
Drooping juniper occurs on dry, rocky or sandy, igneous soils in canyons, benches, hillsides, and ridges [12,32,33,37,38]. It preferentially grows on well-drained sites [42].
Climate: Where drooping juniper grows in the Chisos Mountains, precipitation ranges from 8.7 to 27 inches (220-680 mm), with most falling from May to October [26,45]. It rarely freezes, and summer temperatures routinely exceed 100 °F (40 °C) [26].
Elevation: In the Chisos Mountains, drooping juniper generally is found above 5,000 feet (2,000 m) [37]. In Mexico, it occurs from 4,000 to 8,000 feet (1,000-2,000 m) [3,44]. The elevational range of J. f. var. flaccida in Texas and Mexico is 3,000 to 9,500 feet (900-2,900 m) [15].
- 3. Adams, Robert P.; Zanoni, Thomas A.; Hogge, Lawrence. 1984. The volatile leaf oils of Juniperus flaccida var. flaccida and var. poblana. Journal of Natural Products. 47(6): 1064-1065. [65726]
- 12. Elias, Thomas S. 1980. The complete trees of North America: field guide and natural history. New York: Times Mirror Magazines, Inc. 948 p. [21987]
- 26. Leopold, Bruce D.; Krausman, Paul R. 2002. Plant recovery and deer use in the Chisos Mountains, Texas, following wildfire. Proceedings, Annual Conference of Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 56: 352-364. [61559]
- 32. Plumb, Gregory A. 1992. Vegetation classification of Big Bend National Park, Texas. Texas Journal of Science. 44(4): 375-387. [20091]
- 33. Powell, A. Michael. 1988. Trees and shrubs of Trans-Pecos Texas: Including Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Big Bend National Park, TX: Big Bend Natural History Association. 536 p. [6130]
- 37. Simpson, Benny J. 1988. A field guide to Texas trees. Austin, TX: Texas Monthly Press. 372 p. [11708]
- 38. Standley, P. C. 1924. Trees and shrubs of Mexico. Contrib. U.S. Nat. Herb. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Press. 23: 849-1312. [20916]
- 42. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States, their erosion-control and wildlife values. Misc. Publ. No. 303. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
- 44. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
- 45. Wauer, Roland H. 1971. Ecological distribution of birds of the Chisos Mountains, Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist. 16(1): 1-29. [24969]
- 15. Flora of North America Association. 2007. Flora of North America: The flora, [Online]. Flora of North America Association (Producer). Available: http://www.fna.org/FNA. [36990]
Trusted
Habitat: Ecosystem
This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):
ECOSYSTEMS [17]:
FRES35 Pinyon-juniper
FRES40 Desert grasslands
- 17. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; Lewis, Mont E.; Smith, Dixie R. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
Trusted
Habitat and Ecology
- Terrestrial
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
General Ecology
Immediate Effect of Fire
Specific information on the relationship of fire severity and damage to drooping juniper is lacking. Drooping juniper has shreddy bark and volatile leaf oils which probably render it highly flammable. It is probably easily killed by fire.
Trusted
Post-fire Regeneration
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [39]:
Tree without adventitious bud/root crown
- 39. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. FEIS postfire regeneration workshop--April 12: Seral origin of species comprising secondary plant succession in Northern Rocky Mountain forests. 10 p. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. [20090]
Trusted
Fire Ecology
Fire adaptations: Specific information on the fire ecology of drooping juniper is lacking. Other junipers (Juniperus spp.) are highly vulnerable to fire, and usually occur in large numbers only in fire refugia.
FIRE REGIMES: Fire is a common occurrence where drooping juniper occurs in the Chisos Mountains. Dick-Peddie and Alberico [10] reported that lightning fires are probably highly localized, and are often confined to single trees. Downed woody fuels are usually scarce, and continuous fine fuels consist of herbs [10]. Using fire scar data, Moir [30] assessed that fire frequency in the Chisos Mountains ranged from 0.9 to 2.0 fires/century. The research conducted by Moir suggests a mean fire interval for the Chisos Mountains of approximately 70 years [29,30]. Research conducted by Leopold and Krausman [26] in the Chisos Mountains showed a mean fire interval of 60 years.
The following table provides fire-return intervals for plant communities and ecosystems where drooping juniper is important. For further information, see the FEIS review of the dominant species listed below.
| Community or Ecosystem | Dominant Species | Fire Return Interval Range (years) |
| desert grasslands | Bouteloua eriopoda and/or Pleuraphis mutica | <35 to <100 |
| pinyon-juniper | Pinus-Juniperus spp. | <35 [31] |
| Mexican pinyon | Pinus cembroides | 20-70 [30,40] |
| oak-juniper woodland (Southwest) | Quercus-Juniperus spp. | <35 to <200 [31] |
- 10. Dick-Peddie, William A.; Alberico, Michael S. 1977. Fire ecology study of the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas: Phase I. CDRI Contribution No. 35. Alpine, TX: The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. 47 p. [5002]
- 26. Leopold, Bruce D.; Krausman, Paul R. 2002. Plant recovery and deer use in the Chisos Mountains, Texas, following wildfire. Proceedings, Annual Conference of Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 56: 352-364. [61559]
- 30. Moir, William H. 1982. A fire history of the High Chisos, Big Bend National Park, Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist. 27(1): 87-98. [5916]
- 31. Paysen, Timothy E.; Ansley, R. James; Brown, James K.; Gottfried, Gerald J.; Haase, Sally M.; Harrington, Michael G.; Narog, Marcia G.; Sackett, Stephen S.; Wilson, Ruth C. 2000. Fire in western shrubland, woodland, and grassland ecosystems. In: Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds. Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 121-159. [36978]
- 40. Swetnam, Thomas W.; Baisan, Christopher H.; Brown, Peter M.; Caprio, Anthony C. 1989. Fire history of Rhyolite Canyon, Chiricahua National Monument. Tech. Rep. No. 32. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona, School of Renewable Natural Resources; Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit. 47 p. [10573]
- 29. Moir, William H. 1980. Forest and woodland vegetation monitoring, Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas: Baseline 1978. Contribution No. 83. [Fort Davis, TX]: Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. 63 p. [20380]
Trusted
Successional Status
More info for the term: succession
At the time of this review (2007), there is no information on the successional status of drooping juniper. Information pertaining to drooping juniper succession is much needed.
Trusted
Regeneration Processes
Large seed crops are produced every 2 to 3 years, with light crops produced in intervening years [12]. The widespread distribution of drooping juniper in Mexico is probably partly due to the number of seeds/cone, which is "large" when compared to other junipers [48].
Pollination: Drooping juniper is pollinated by the wind.
Breeding system: Drooping juniper is dioecious [42,43,44].
Seed dispersal: Drooping juniper seeds are dispersed by birds and animals [48].
At the time of this review (2007) there is no information relating to drooping juniper seed banking, production, or germination; seedling establishment or growth; or vegetative regeneration. Research on drooping juniper reproduction is sorely needed.
- 12. Elias, Thomas S. 1980. The complete trees of North America: field guide and natural history. New York: Times Mirror Magazines, Inc. 948 p. [21987]
- 42. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States, their erosion-control and wildlife values. Misc. Publ. No. 303. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
- 43. van Melle, P. J. 1952. Juniperus texensis sp. nov. -- West-Texas juniper in relation to J. monosperma, J. ashei et al. Phytologia. 4: 26-35. [21859]
- 44. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
- 48. Zanoni, Thomas A.; Adams, Robert P. 1976. The genus Juniperus in Mexico and Guatemala: numerical and chemosystematic analysis. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 4: 147-158. [19991]
Trusted
Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)
- 34. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
Trusted
Fire Management Considerations
Trusted
Plant Response to Fire
Trusted
Life History and Behavior
Cyclicity
Phenology
Some researchers report that drooping juniper cones mature in September or October of their second year [37,42,44] and are persistent [42]. However, Flora of North America [15] reports a 1-year ripening period for drooping juniper.
- 37. Simpson, Benny J. 1988. A field guide to Texas trees. Austin, TX: Texas Monthly Press. 372 p. [11708]
- 42. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States, their erosion-control and wildlife values. Misc. Publ. No. 303. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
- 44. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
- 15. Flora of North America Association. 2007. Flora of North America: The flora, [Online]. Flora of North America Association (Producer). Available: http://www.fna.org/FNA. [36990]
Trusted
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Juniperus flaccida
No available public DNA sequences.
Download FASTA File
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Juniperus flaccida
Public Records: 2
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Conservation
Conservation Status
Trusted
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
- Needs updating
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Justification
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
National NatureServe Conservation Status
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N1 - Critically Imperiled
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Management
Management considerations
Drooping juniper is a host species to juniper mistletoe (Phoradendron juniperinum)
and P. saltillense [18].
- 18. Geils, B. W.; Wiens, D.; Hawksworth, F. G. 2002. Phoradendron in Mexico and the United States. In: Geils, Brian W.; Cibrian Tovar, Jose; Moody, Benjamin, tech. coords. Mistletoes of North American conifers. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-98. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 19-28. [42523]
Trusted
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Other uses and values
Drooping juniper is planted as an ornamental outside of its native range in the United States and in southern Europe and northern Africa [37,44].
Wood Products: Drooping juniper wood is durable and is used locally for fenceposts [42,44].
- 37. Simpson, Benny J. 1988. A field guide to Texas trees. Austin, TX: Texas Monthly Press. 372 p. [11708]
- 42. Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States, their erosion-control and wildlife values. Misc. Publ. No. 303. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 362 p. [4240]
- 44. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707]
Trusted
Importance to Livestock and Wildlife
Very little is known about the importance of drooping juniper to livestock and wildlife. birds and mammals consume drooping juniper's fleshy cones [45,48]. Arizona gray foxes in the Sierra Madres of Chihuahua, Mexico, also eat the cones [23].
Palatability/nutritional value: No information is available on this topic.
Cover value: No information is available on this topic.
- 45. Wauer, Roland H. 1971. Ecological distribution of birds of the Chisos Mountains, Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist. 16(1): 1-29. [24969]
- 48. Zanoni, Thomas A.; Adams, Robert P. 1976. The genus Juniperus in Mexico and Guatemala: numerical and chemosystematic analysis. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 4: 147-158. [19991]
- 23. Knobloch, Irving W. 1942. Notes on a collection of mammals from the Sierra Madres of Chihuahua, Mexico. Journal of Mammology. 23(3): 297-298. [65728]
Trusted
Wikipedia
Juniperus flaccida
Juniperus flaccida (Weeping Juniper or Mexican Juniper; Native American names include tláscal) is a large shrub or small tree reaching 5-10 m (rarely to 15 m) tall. It is native to central and northern Mexico (from Oaxaca northward) and the extreme southwest of Texas, United States (Brewster County). It grows at moderate altitudes of 800-2,600 m, on dry soils.
The bark is brown, with stringy vertical fissuring. The shoots are strongly pendulous, 1-1.2 mm diameter, and often borne in flattened sprays (the only juniper commonly showing this character). The leaves are arranged in opposite decussate pairs; the adult leaves are scale-like, 2-4 mm long (to 7 mm on lead shoots) and 1-1.5 mm broad. The juvenile leaves (on young seedlings only) are needle-like, 5-10 mm long. The cones are berry-like, 8-20 mm in diameter, green maturing brown, and contain 6-12 seeds (the most seeds per cone of any juniper); they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 3-5 mm long, and shed their pollen in spring. It is largely dioecious, producing cones of only one sex on each tree.
There are three varieties, not accepted as distinct by all authorities:
- Juniperus flaccida var. flaccida. Throughout the range of the species. Cones 9-15 mm diameter, with inconspicuous scale margins.
- Juniperus flaccida var. martinezii. Restricted to a small area in Jalisco. Cones 6-8 mm diameter, with inconspicuous scale margins.
- Juniperus flaccida var. poblana. Throughout the southern two thirds of the range of the species. Cones 12-20 mm diameter, with conspicuous scale margins.
References and external links
- Adams, R. P. (2004). Junipers of the World: The genus Juniperus. Trafford Publishing ISBN 1-4120-4250-X
- Gymnosperm Database: Juniperus flaccida
- Flora of North America: Juniperus flaccida
- Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Juniperus flaccida. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 28 July 2006.
Source:
Wikipedia
Unreviewed
