Juniperus oxycedrus, vernacularly called Cade, cade juniper, prickly juniper, prickly cedar, or sharp cedar, is a species of juniper, native across the Mediterranean region, growing on a variety of rocky sites from sea level.[Meiggs, R. 1982. Trees and Timber in the Ancient Mediterranean World.][MARIA PEPLER-HARCOMBE, ALETTA (2011). Ancient Furniture in Context: From Ancient Production, Preservation To Modern-Day Reconstruction And Conservation. South Africa: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA.]
Description
Juniperus oxycedrus is very variable in shape, forming a spreading
shrub tall to a small erect
tree tall. It has needle-like
leaves in whorls of three; the leaves are green, long and broad, with a double white stomatal band (split by a green midrib) on the inner surface. It is usually
dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The
conifer cone are berry-like, green ripening in 18 months to orange-red with a variable pink waxy coating; they are spherical, diameter, and have three or six fused scales in 1–2 whorls, three of the scales with a single
seed. The seeds are dispersed when
eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The
pollen cones are yellow, long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in late winter or early spring.
[Farjon, A. (2005). Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ][Adams, R. P. (2004). Junipers of the World. Trafford. ][Arboretum de Villardebelle: photos of cones and shoots]
Subspecies
As to be expected from the wide range,
J. oxycedrus is very variable, and multiple subspecies have been recognised.
[ However, multiple studies have found the subspecies not to be closely related to one another,][Adams, R. P. (2000). Systematics of Juniperus section Juniperus based on leaf essential oils and RAPD DNA fingerprinting. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 28: 515-528 available online (pdf file) ][Adams, R. P. (2004). Juniperus deltoides, a new species and nomenclatural notes on Juniperus polycarpos and J. turcomanica (Cupressaceae). Phytologia 86: 49 - 53 available online (pdf file) ]
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Juniperus oxycedrus L. – Western prickly juniper. Southwest Europe, in eastern Portugal and Spain east to southern France, northwest Italy, Corsica, and Sardinia, and northwest Africa from Morocco east to Tunisia. Leaves long (), narrow-based; cones smooth.
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Juniperus navicularis Gand. (syn. J. oxycedrus subsp. transtagana) – Portuguese prickly juniper. Coastal southwest Portugal. Leaves short (); cones smooth.
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Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams – Eastern prickly juniper. Central Italy east to Iran and Israel. Leaves long (), broad-based; cones with raised scale edges.
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Juniperus macrocarpa (syn. J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa) – large-fruited juniper. Mediterranean coastal sands. Broader leaves ( wide), and larger cones ( wide).
An additional variety or subspecies J. oxycedrus var. badia H.Gay (syn. J. oxycedrus subsp. badia (H.Gay) Debeaux) is distinguished on the basis of larger cones ( diameter), tinged purple when mature; it is described from northern Algeria, and also reported from Portugal and Spain.[
]
Other close relatives of J. oxycedrus include Juniperus brevifolia on the Azores, Juniperus cedrus on the Canary Islands and Juniperus formosana in eastern Asia.[
]
Uses
Cade oil is the essential oil obtained through destructive distillation of the wood of this shrub. It is a dark, aromatic oil with a strong smoky smell which is used in some cosmetics and (traditional) skin treatment drugs, as well as incense.[1911 British Pharmacopaea: Cade Oil][1918 US Dispensatory: Cade Oil] Cade oil has, on rare occasions, caused severe allergic reactions in infants.
External links
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Juniperus oxycedrus - information, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)
