B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 29. 1998 (Budapest, 1999)

Debreczy, Zsolt; Rácz, István: The prostrate form of the Phoenician juniper: Juniperus phoenicea L. f. prostrata, f. nov.

ramidalis; 4) J. Ph. filicaulis, Carr., with the synonym of J. Myosurus, Hort. Sénécl. Catal. 1854, p. 35. PARLATORE (1868) mentions the form with seeds exceeding the cone scales as f. monstruosa from Sierra de Segura, S. France nr. Telonem from Webb's herbarium. In BALL (1878) "var. galbulis mollibus" (syn. J. lycia L.) appears as a native of Ait Mesan, Morocco, from 1500 m, and having characteristic soft hairy cone-berries. Under J. phoenicea, VEITCH (1900) discusses wax. filicaulis, var. turbinata and var. Langoldiana, the latter characterized with a more open habit, more distantly set branchlets, and with young ("herbaceous") shoots having a brighter green colour with a "slight glaucous tint". The Flora Europaea (TUTIN et al. 1964) recognized J. phoenicea without distinguishing any form, variety or subspecies. In Flora Iberica, FRANCO (1986) discusses six Juniperus species from the region - the Phoenician juniper is separated into two subspecies, the type and subsp. turbinata. A true prostrate, creeping form that spreads by rooting branchlets is worthy of a botanical note on the variability of the species. HABITAT OBSERVATIONS J. phoenicea f. prostrata grows in SW Portugal on the seashore cliffs near Praja Grande, 15 km west of the town of Sintra which is famous, among others, for its rich living collection of trees in the Pena Park. The climate here is humid Atlantic-Mediterranean with a rainfall of about 1000-1200 mm (to somewhat north of the type locality: Coimbra, 140 m, 14.9 °C, 984 mm; Oporto, 100 m, 14.8 °C, 1189 mm). In the low scrub where this new juniper forms patches, the most frequent associative species include Asparagus acutifolius, Crithmum maritimum, Daphne gnidium, Dorycnium herbaceum, Rhamnus alaternus, Rubia tinctoria, Smilax aspera etc. After finding the first clump or population we looked for others in several other locations along the ocean cliffs and among windswept sea-front vegetation, but without success. The form seems to be rare and restricted to the Sintra region. It is, however, possible, that further thorough search will prove its wider distribution. To speculate on the origin of this form, we contend that it appears to have developed from an accidental seedling of procumbent and rooting character, which survived and became dominant on the cliffs where the upright (normal) form is restricted by the strong, frequent Atlantic winds.