Juniperus seravschanica

Komarov (1932)

Common names

Afghan juniper (Adams 2014), dhup (in India), Pashtun juniper.

Taxonomic notes

Type: Tajikistan, Zeravshan Mountains, Zeravshan Valley, Darch (approx. 39.3°N, 68.9°E), V. L. Komarov s.n. (lectotype LE). Synonymy: see POWO. This is one of 8 species in a widely-distributed clade (Macaronesia to Japan) within Juniperus section Sabina. It is sister to J. excelsa and J. polycarpos, and was often synonymized with those taxa until molecular studies confirmed that it is sufficiently distinctive to warrant species rank (Adams et al. 2014); it also has a disjunct distribution (Adams 2014).

Description

Dioecious evergreen trees to 20 m tall, commonly with dense a pyramidal crown. Bark reddish or reddish-gray. Twigs 1-1.5 mm thick, relatively short, yellowish-green or glaucescent. Leaves both needle-like and scale-like, oblong, acute; scale leaves with a beak or keel so the twig resembles a string of beads, bearing a clear, ellipsoid, oblong gland that often shows a droplet of clear exudate. Pollen cones numerous, solitary and terminal or subterminal on ultimate branchlets, 3-4 × 2-3 mm, greenish maturing yellowish; microsporophylls 8-10, peltate with rounded, thin margins, each bearing 3-4 pollen sacs; pollen shed in fall and winter. Seed cones numerous, mostly solitary and axillary, subterminal on ultimate branchlets, sessile; young cones surrounded by green leaves or bracts, 2-3 mm diameter, purplish-green to blue; mature cones subglobose, 8-10 mm diameter, strongly pruinose, very hard, with a woody pericarp layer. Seeds 3-6 per cone (some ovules usually abort), angular, broadest at base, ovoid, 4-6 × 3-4 mm, yellowish to reddish-brown (Farjon 1992, Adams 2014).

Distribution and Ecology

Afghanistan; India: Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir; SE Iran; SE Kazakhstan; W Kyrgyzstan; N Pakistan; Tajikistan; E Turkmenistan; E Uzbekistan (Adams 2014). Climate semiarid, continental, with much of the annual precipitation coming as snow in winter (Farjon 1992); a study in Balochistan, Pakistan recorded average annual precipitation of 282 mm with mean minimum temperatures of -9°C in January, and mean maximum of 28°C in July and August (Sarangzai et al. 2013). The habitat is characterized by mountains separated by vast steppes and deserts. The species is abundant in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tadzhikistan and Uzbekistan, with outposts in the western Tian Shan on the northern limits and in India (Himachal Pradesh) to the east. It is generally a higher altitude taxon (500-3800 m), reaching generally higher elevations in the more easterly portions of its range. It grows very slowly and in many areas are groves of very old trees occur, with little or no evidence of regeneration. It is highly tolerant of drought, and heat, and winter cold. A thick cuticle helps it resist drought. It occurs on rocky slopes, often in very sparse woodlands, occasionally with J. semiglobosa (Farjon 1992). A study of 10 stands in the J. seravschanica woodlands of Pakistan found stand densities of 100-380 trees/hectare with average basal areas averaging 73 m²/ha, with regeneration evident in all stands. No other conifers were observed; the dominant woody associate was Berberis baluchistanica. Site degradation was seen in the form of fuelwood cutting, tree harvest, and overgrazing (Sarangzai et al. 2013).

The IUCN has not assessed the conservation status of this species, but it has a very large range with many populations, and no specific threats have been identified; it would probably be assessed as "Least Concern" under IUCN criteria.

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2025.01.09.

Ethnobotany

The wood is used in joinery and carpentry. The tree is used as an ornamental, and is also recommended for erosion control (Adams 2014).

Observations

Vladimir Dinets (E-mail, 2004.11.14) found it in Pakistan: Hazarganji-Chintal National Park near Qwetta.

Remarks

The epithet refers to the type locality, the Zeravshan Range and Zeravshan valley (and as this is a Romanized name, there are several spelling variants).

Citations

Adams, Robert P. 2014. Junipers of the World: The Genus Juniperus. Fourth edition. Trafford Publishing. Brief versions of the descriptions are available online at Adam's website, www.juniperus.org.

Ali, S.I. and M. Qaiser (eds.). 1987. Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=5, accessed 2010.11.18, now defunct.

Komarov, V. L. 1932. Botanicheskii zhurnal (Moscow & Leningrad) 17:481.

See also

Sarangzai, Atta Mohammad, Alia Ahmed, Muhammad Faheem Siddiqui, Saadullah Khan Laghari, Muhammad Akbar, and Alamdar Hussain. 2013. Ecological status and regeneration patterns of Juniperus excelsa forests in north-eastern Balochista.” Fuuast J. Biol. 3(2):53–61.