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.

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 seed cones 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 birds 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.

Subspecies

As to be expected from the wide range, J. oxycedrus is very variable, and multiple subspecies have been recognised. resulting in the recognition of multiple species:

  • 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.
  • Juniperus navicularis Gand. (syn. J. oxycedrus subsp. transtagana) – Portuguese prickly juniper. Coastal southwest Portugal. Leaves short (); cones smooth.
  • Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams – Eastern prickly juniper. Central Italy east to Iran and Israel. Leaves long (), broad-based; cones with raised scale edges.
  • 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. Cade oil has, on rare occasions, caused severe allergic reactions in infants.

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File:Juniperus oxycedrus.jpg|Leaves and mature cones, Spain

File:Juniperus oxycedrus 20120826 3.jpg|Central Spain

File:Juniperus oxycedrus (عرعر كادي), Tlemcen - 04.jpg|Tlemcen, Algeria

File:Juniperus oxycedrus 20120826 2.jpg|Bark, Central Spain

File:Juniperus oxycedrus (عرعر كادي), Tlemcen.jpg|Leaves, Tlemcen, Algeria

File:Juniperus oxycedrus (عرعر كادي), Tlemcen - 02.jpg|Leaves and immature cones, Tlemcen, Algeria

File:Juniperus oxycedrus (عرعر كادي), Tlemcen - 03.jpg|Leaves, Tlemcen. Algeria

File:Juniperus oxycedrus L, (عرعر كادي), Lalla Setti, Tlemcen.jpg|Juniperus oxycedrus, Lalla Setti

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References

  • Juniperus oxycedrus - information, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)