Dilip Walse Patil

Scientific Name : Juniperus squamata D.Don

Category : Gymnosperms

Status : Alive

Himalayan Juniper is an evergreen shrub, rarely a small tree, reaching 2-10 m tall, rarely 15 m, with flaky brown bark, and a prostrate to irregularly-conical crown. The leaves are broad, needle-like, 3-9 mm long, arranged in six ranks in alternating whorls of three, and often strongly a glaucous blue-green in color. Upper surface white, concave and lower surface convex. The cones are berry-like, spherical to ovoid, 4-9 mm long, and 4-6 mm diameter. Often, they are a glossy black and contain one seed; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 3-4 mm long and shed their pollen in early spring. It is largely dioecious, with pollen and seed cones produced on separate plants, but occasionally monoecious.