  Tree, foliage & cone [L.A. Vorobik] (7). | Juniperus occidentalis var. australis (Vasek) Holmgren & Holmgren 1972Common NamesSierra juniper (4).Taxonomic notesSyn: Juniperus occidentalis subsp. australis Vasek 1966. "Vasek (3) reported hybridization of this variety with Juniperus osteosperma in northwestern Nevada" (2).DescriptionSame as the species except: Bark brown. Plants mostly (90%) dioecious. Seed cones (7)8.5(10) mm (2).RangeUSA: California, at 1000-3000 m elevation on dry rocky slopes (2).Big TreeThe "Bennett Juniper;" diameter 388 cm, height 26 m, crown spread 18 m, located in Stanislaus National Forest, CA (5).OldestA crossdated age of 1288 years for specimen HL 47 from the Sierra Nevada (CA) collected by Lisa Graumlich and Marybeth Keifer; also, a crossdated age of 1220 years for specimen BNJ 1 from the Sierra Nevada (CA) collected by Peter Brown (6). Both of these collections occurred in the late 1980s or early 1990s and I believe both represent living trees. In the 1930's, dendrochronologist Waldo Glock guessed (i.e., without supporting data) that the Bennett Juniper (above) might exceeed 3,000 years (8).DendrochronologyDendrochronologically useful; see (1).EthnobotanyObservationsReadily seen in Yosemite National Park, for example in the Tuolumne Meadows area, and in the high country of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.RemarksCitations(1) Holmes et al. 1986.(2) Robert P. Adams at the Flora of North America online. (3) Vasek 1966. (4) Peattie 1950. (5) American Forests 1996. (6) Brown 1996. (7) Hickman 1993. (8) Lanner 1983, p.122. See also Arno & Gyer 1973 and Silba 1986. |
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