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Langthelu (Common Juniper)

  • Writer: Saryan Foundation
    Saryan Foundation
  • Feb 2
  • 2 min read

Juniperus communis (Common Juniper)

Vernacular name: Langthelu (in Kinnauri)

Click here to watch a short video about this species

Click here to watch a short video about this species


Juniperus communis, commonly known as the Common Juniper or Langthelu in Kinnauri, is a small evergreen shrub belonging to the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It is widely distributed across the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and possesses the largest range of any woody plant due to its exceptional drought resistance, even thriving in arid desert zones.


Despite its resilience, the Common Juniper is facing increasing threats, particularly in parts of Europe, where habitat destruction and degradation are taking a toll on its populations. Common Juniper is dioecious in nature, meaning the male and female cones grow on separate plants. This reproductive strategy, while common in some species, has contributed to the plant's declining populations in areas where habitat destruction restricts the availability of both male and female trees, thus limiting successful reproduction.


The leaf needles of the Common Juniper are scale-like, while its cones are composed of fused scales, giving them a berry-like appearance. Though it resembles Black Juniper (known as Thelu in Kinnauri), the Common Juniper leaves are less aromatic, a characteristic that helps differentiate the two species.


All parts of the plant are toxic due to several compounds, including ethereal oils. However, in some regions of Jammu, Ladakh, and Kashmir, very small amounts are used for medicinal purposes, such as treating digestive issues, promoting urination, relieving menstrual pain, addressing skin diseases, and easing toothaches.


References

  1. Verheyen, Kris, et al. "Juniperus communis: victim of the combined action of climate warming and nitrogen deposition?." Plant Biology 11 (2009): 49-59.

  2. Adams, Robert P. "Evolution of dioecious/monecious taxa in Juniperus, contrasted with Cupressus, Hesperocyparis, Callitropsis and Xanthocyparis (Cupressaceae)." Phytologia 100.4 (2018): 248-255.

  3. Shrestha, Ila & Kunwar, Ripu & Hussain, Wahid & Jan, Hammad & Abbasi, Arshad & Bussmann, Rainer & Zambrana, Narel. (2021). Juniperus communis L., Juniperus excelsa, Juniperus indica, Juniperus pseudosabina, Juniperus recurva, Juniperus sibirica, Juniperus squamata.


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