JUNIPER ( older forms aynypre. jeneper, from OF. geneirre, genoivre, It. ainepro, giuoipera, from Lat. juniperes, jun(pires, probably for junonipirus, .Juno's pear. from Juno, .Juno pirus, pear; also explained as being from jecenis, young, and pines, pear: hardly connected with parere, to produce), Juniperus. A genus of trees and shrubs of the natural order Conifers, hav ing unisexual flowers. the male and female generally on separate plants, and the fruit a kind of fleshy berry containing one to three small nuts. The species are all evergreen, and have small, narrow, rigid, and scale-like leaves oppo site in whorls of three or four, or imbricated in four rows, both forms sometimes occurring to gether. They are natives chiefly of northern tem perate and cold regions. The common juniper (Juniperus eommunis), common to northern high latitudes, rarely exceeds a height of 30 feet. and in general is only a shrub from 2 to 6 feet high. The abundant, round, bluish-black currant like fruit takes two years to ripen. On the shell of the nuts are three glands, which abound. es pecially before ripening, in an essential oil—oil of juniper—present also particularly in the young wood. The wood is yellowish-red, brownish in the heart, hard, and fragrant. \\ hen of suffi cient size it is much valued for turning and veneering. The dry twigs, roots. and berries are used for fumigation. The berries. which have a strong and peculiar flavor. are much used for flavoring gin. which derives its name from them. They also enter into several medical preparations, being stimulant, sudorific, and diuretic. The hark of juniper may be made into ropes, and in some parts of the Highlands of Scotland the roots arc woven into coarse baskets. Oil of juniper, on which the medicinal properties of the plant depends. has a specific gravity of 0.839. It is obtained by distilling the unripe fruit ur the twigs with water. Six drops are a dose. Spanish juniper (•unip, •us (lxycedrits) grows in arid situations in the countries around the _Medi terranean Sea. From its fruit, which is about the size of a hazelnut. and its wood is procured an essential oil of disagreeable odor. called hai/e de code'. which is used in veterinary pra,tice, par ticularly as a cure for scab in sheep. Virginian juniper (Juniperas 1 irgiaiana), the red cedar of .V.rth America. is an evergreen tree. often 50 to 100 feet high, of conical form, with horizontal branches and very small leaves. Its range is from Lake Champlain to thelf of :Mexico in sandy or rocky places. It is often planted in pleasure gardens in Europe. The berries are small and bright blue. The heart-wood is of a beau tiful red color, and is valued by turners. coopers, etc., and is extensively used for making, lead pencils. Tito wood is ye, 1,,,i,taitt to decay, and on this account is in demand for fence-posts.
There are often found on the branches fungous excrescences called ccdor-apples., which are one stage in the life history of the fungus, causing apple-rust. ( See APPLE, paragraph Diseases.) 'Flie Bermuda cedar (Juniperus lic•inlolitmol. a native of the Beriondas, is a small tree, with very fragrant. reddish-brown wood, which is used for furniture. pencil-making, etc.. and also for lin ing cabini ts,. its flavor preventing the attacks of moths and other insects. The Himalaya Moun tains produce several species of juniper. trees of considerable size. beautiful appearance. and valu able wood. The Swedish juniper of our shrub l•ries is merely a variety of the common juniper. There area mother of other species of Juniperus of similar habit and nse throughout the world: also many dwarf species that. are procumbent or trailing. Among the larger tree forms are Juni perus Chinensi., Juniperus excelsa. and Juniperus leCIITVa of Asia. duniperus procera of Abyssinia, and Junipe•n: Califo•nica.,Tuniperns oceidentalis, and Juniperus Mexicana of the We:tern Cnited States and Mexico. There are also numerous horticultural varieties in cultivation.
JUNiPERO, uM-Mvp5-r5. Micri• Jost, SERRA ( ). A Francisean missionary to Indians of California. He was born on the island of Majorca in the Mediterranean. and when he beenine a priest 11730). lie exchanged his Baptismal name, Miguel ,b,sr• Serra. for the clerical one, Junipero. At the age of thirty-six lie sailed as a missionary to the Spanish polo nies in America, and from 1750 until 1769 lie ministered to nommEe tribes of aborigines in Mexico. Upon the expulsion of the Jesuits front Lower California. Father Juniper° was ordered to take up their relinquished work. and while he was president of the California missions there were founded the missions of San Diego (1769), San Carlos (17701. San Antonio (1771). San liabriel (17711. San Luis Obispo (1772). San Francisco (1776). San Juan Capistrano (1776i. Santa Clara (1777). and San Buenaventura (17C2). lie made many long and toilsome wilder ness journeys to other stations, but. his particular charge was the San Carlo: Mission at Mon terey, and he had under hint sixteen missionaries of the Order of Saint Francis, who by 1780 had converted more than three thousand Indians, in structed them in the arts of peace, and per suaded them to give up their wanderings to form agri•ultural colonies around the different mis sions. These in turn required military stations or presidia for their protection, and thus the settlement of California was begun. Father Juni. Pero was buried in his own church at „Monterey, now in ruins, and Father Palon, his assistant and successor, one of the three enthusiasts who came out with hint to America, left behind an interesting memoir, called Vida do Juniper°.