Scientific name: Juniperus squamata Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don 1824

Synonyms: Juniperus densa (Carrière) Gordon, Juniperus franchetiana H.Lév. ex Kom., Sabina squamata (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Antoine

Common names: Nepalese juniper, Scaly juniper, Flaky juniper, Padma chunder (Hindi), Gao shan bai (Chinese)

Description

A shrub 15 cm to 1.5 m high or sometimes a tree to 12(-28?) m tall, with several to 0.3(-0.5) m in diameter. Bark reddish brown, weathering grayish brown, thin, flaking and then peeling in narrow longitudinal strips. Crown broad and low, with branches usually trailing or rising in tree forms. Branchlets upright or hanging, cylindrical, slender. Adult leaves in alternating trios, closely spaced, needlelike, curved forward and overlapping (hence “scaly” and squamata), 3-5(-7) mm long, grayish green or blue-green with a broad, shallow, white, waxy stomatal groove above divided by a thin midrib, without a gland, the edges smooth, the tip prolonged into a point. Pollen and seed cones on separate plants. Pollen cones single at the tips of branchlets, spherical, 2.5-4 mm long, with three or four alternating trios of pollen scales. Seed cones single at the tips of straight branchlets, egg-shaped or spherical, 5-8 mm long, dark bluish black, maturing in 2 years. Seed one, 4-6 mm long, light brown, with darker pits and a narrow, lighter attachment scar.

Widespread in the Himalaya from Afghanistan eastward and across China to Taiwan. Forming dense thickets in alpine scrub and groves of trees in subalpine woodlands, (1,300-)1,600-4,600(-4,850) m.

Conservation Status

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern

Juniperus squamata is a widespread and locally common species; in some areas subpopulations are likely to be increasing. It is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

Occuring from subalpine coniferous forest and mixed woodland with Abies spp., Picea spp., Larix spp. and Juniperus semiglobosa, Juniperus recurva, Juniperus saltuaria, Betula spp., and Quercus spp., up to subalpine Rhododendron thickets and Juniper thickets or alpine dwarf shrub or grass/forb communities. In thickets and alpine scrub it is commonly associated with Juniperus indica, Juniperus pingii var. wilsonii, Berberis, Caragana (in NE of range), Cotoneaster, Polygonum bistorta, Rhododendron, Rosa, Sorbus, Spiraea etc. The altitudinal range is 1,340-4,850 m a.s.l. It is found on various rock types, from calcareous to siliceous, and often predominant on moraines, scree slopes or rocky ridges, but also on gravelly flood plains. The climate is high montane to alpine with strong monsoon influence, which however diminishes towards the NE of its range.

Overgrazing of subalpine meadows could threaten this species locally or regionally, but given its very wide distribution this is unlikely to have much impact on the species.

Juniperus squamata is widely cultivated as a garden ornamental and several shrubby and prostrate forms are propagated as cultivars. Forms with glaucous leaves are much in demand and accordingly a constant stream of new cultivars with this trait runs into the horticultural market.

This species is recorded from many protected areas.

References

Farjon, A. (2010). A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.
Eckenwalder, J.E. (2009) Conifers of the World: The Complete Reference. Timber Press, Portland.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Cambridge, UK /Gland, Switzerland