 | Juniperus sabina LinnaeusCommon NamesSavin (1).Taxonomic notesSyn: Sabina officinalis Gracke (1); Sabina vulgaris var. yulinensis (2). Juniperus sabina var. taurica Pall., Fl. Ross.: see J. excelsa. Juniperus sabina var. excelsa (M.-Bieb.) Georgi: see J. excelsa (2). Two varieties, sabina (syn: Juniperus arenaria (Wilson in Rehder & Wilson) Florin 1948; J. chinensis var. arenaria Wilson in Rehder & E.H. Wilson 1928 (4)) and saltauria, found in China.Description"A shrub up to 5 m high, with irregular crown, rarely erect and usually more or less prostrate. Branches with upturned ends. Bark on old trees reddish-brown. Shoots slender, up to 1 mm in diameter, rounded to slightly angled. Shoots and leaves emit an unpleasant odour when rubbed. Foliage dimorphic; on young plants and sterile branches leaves needle-like, in whorls, 4 mm long, pointed, glaucous above; scale leaves decussate, ovate, 1-3 mm long, with a dorsal gland. The species monoecious or dioecious. Fruit globose to ovate, 5-7 mm long, bluish-black, pruinose, composed of 4 to 6 scales, on a curved petiole; ripening in the autumn of the first year or in the following spring. Seeds 1-3 to a fruit, ovate and furrowed. The fruit and leaves are poisonous" (1).RangeS & C Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Ural and Siberia; in mountains at 1400-2300 m. "It is very tolerant to cold, drought and gases. It has no special requirements regarding soil" (1).Big Tree-Oldest-Dendrochronology-EthnobotanyA popular ornamental (1). In traditional medicine, its foliage was used as an abortifascient. For this reason, cultivation of this species was long prohibited in France (3).Observations-RemarksThe foliage and the seeds contain sabinol (a terpenic alcohol) and gallic acid, which is transformed into pyrogallol. Consumption of the foliage causes a severe irritation of all mucous membranes. The sabinol attacks the nervous system, causing convulsions. The pyrogallol blocks the intestinal circuit completely. Death occurs quickly (3).Citations(1) Vidakovic 1991.(2) Silba 1986. (3) L'Herbier Virtuel. (4) TROPICOS - Flora of China Checklist http://mobot.mobot.org/cgi-bin/search_pick. Accessed 2-Nov-1998. |
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