Somehow....that doesn't make sense! Lol! Nice future this tree could have! Pinch fight! Sorce
Does this sound better?
Juniperus communis
I am so glad that this came up and with two of the more respected members here.
Both of them are old enough to have memories of this. When I was in early high
school the "Pineapple Guava" was considered a tropical magnolia; then for a few,
several severals actually, if was a Michelia; and now an Acca. Has the plant changed?
Not in the least little bit; it is just our understanding, means of testing, and gene mapping
that have changed things.
Slowly the botanical world is unraveling what is their "tree of life" and the rest of us are just
along for the ride.You will run up on "
communis", "vulgaris", "occidental", "orientalus",
and a host of others.
Communis in this case is much the same as chinensis; there are literally dozens of different
ones--observably different enough that anyone would be surprised to know they are all
Juniperus
communis. Just about the only thing these strains [what you call a plant that is
different enough to notice it but not yet named as a species] is needled foliage and a band
of one sort or another (sometimes more than one) on the foliage. At some point they will
get enough attention and all these pigeon holed "common junipers" will be broken off into
their own species.
Until then? I'll take a communis that has characteristics I like; you should too. There really are
some cool ones out there--just like vulgaris or any of the other lesser designations.
Buy the plant--damn the name.
[{Somebody call 911 !} {There goes sorce's heart hearing such heresy, of this magnitude, from me!}]
Very exciting times we live in; wish I had another hundred years to study.