Juniperus communis L. var. nipponica
(Maxim.) E. H. Wilson
Shrub: evergreen; procumbent; 1 m maximum
height; monoecious, or dioecious. Trunk: 0.3 m maximum diameter. Bark:
grey, brown, or red; divided in plates, peeling off in strands, or furrowed. Crown:
dense; procumbent. Branches: horizontal, or drooping. Ultimate branchlets: 0.5–1 mm wide; arranged 3-dimensionally; triangular
or roundish in cross-section.
Leaves: only adult leaves on adult plants;
needle-like (linear: flattened in cross-section). Needle leaves: 7–9 mm
long; 1–1.4 mm wide; arranged in whorls of 3; spreading, or slightly spreading;
bright, or dark green; tip acute; dorsal side keeled; with a single narrow
white stripe; not decurrent and jointed at the base.
Male cones: 3–5 mm long; 2–3 mm
wide; solitary; 15–18 male cone scales; 5–6 male cone scale whorls; oblong;
yellow or bright brown. Male cone scales: arranged in whorls of 3.
Female cones: 5–6 mm long; 5–7 mm
wide; 3 cone scales; globose, or ovoid; berry-like (closed after maturity);
fleshy, or leathery; not disintegrating after maturity; bluish, or dark; young
cones green with bluish coating; female-cone bearing-branchlets
straight. Female cone scales: arranged in whorls of 3; without several
small additional cone scales on the female cone; umbo absent, or with small
dorsal umbo near the tip. Columella: absent.
Seeds: 2.1–4 mm wide; 3 seeds per cone; bright
brown – black; 1 seed per female cone scale; non-flattened; tubercled.
Seed wings: absent (sometimes only small rips).
Supplement: maturity in the second year,
or maturity in the third year; 2–6 cotyledones; 22 chromosomes
(2n). Cultivation: not cultivated in