| Juniperus rigida | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Foliage and immature cones | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Gymnospermae |
| Division: | Pinophyta |
| Class: | Pinopsida |
| Order: | Cupressales |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Genus: | Juniperus |
| Species: | J. rigida |
| Binomial name | |
| Juniperus rigida | |
Juniperus rigida, thetemple juniper, is a species ofjuniper, native to northern China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and the far southeast of Russia (Sakhalin andPrimorsky Krai), occurring at altitudes of 10–2,200 metres (33–7,218 ft). The species is also naturalized in the United States (California andAlabama). It is closely related toJuniperus communis (common juniper) andJuniperus conferta (shore juniper), the latter sometimes treated as a variety or subspecies ofJ. rigida.[2][3]
It is ashrub or smalltree growing to a height of 6–10 metres (20–33 ft) and a trunk diameter up to 50 centimetres (20 in). Theleaves areevergreen, needle-like, in whorls of three, bright green to yellowish-green, 10–23 millimetres (1⁄2–1 in) long and 1–1.3 mm broad, with a single whitestomatal band on the inner surface. It isdioecious, with separate male and female plants. Theseed cones areberry-like, green ripening in 18 months to dark purple or brownish with a variable whitish waxy coating; they are spherical, 5–9 mm diameter, and have three (rarely six) fused scales in one (rarely two) whorls of three, each with a singleseed (when six scales, only the three larger scales with seeds). The seeds are dispersed whenbirds eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The pollen cones are yellow, 3–5 mm long, and fall soon after shedding theirpollen in spring.[2][3]
It is grown as anornamental tree, often planted intemple grounds in Japan. It is also often grown asbonsai.[2]
