A Comparative Morphological Study of the Genus Juniperus L. (Cupressaceae) in North of Iraq

Abstract

A new species Registration of juniper is Juniperus macrocarpa, permissions not previously registered in Flora of Iraq that were composed (Guest researchers and Ali al-Rawi,1966) so only two species of Juniperus oxycedrus and Juniperus polycarpos were registered at the time. The research included a classification of the species Juniperus which belong to the Cupressaceae family that grown a wild plants in north of Iraq, using the morphological characteristics of (3) species of veins mentioned in (7) sites distributed in provinces of (FNI,MAM and MSU )Nineveh, Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah. The study includes the characteristics of stems, branches, bark, needle leaves, male and female cones, seeds and flower buds, as well as examining the overcoming of appearance between species and individuals of the same species in the studied sites, and sometimes the species have clear variations among them and the individuals of the same species did not show marked changes, and it became clear that the studied morphological characteristics have taxonomic. Significant in the diagnosis and isolation of species from each other, and the study was reinforced with photographs, shapes and illustrations, as well as the study showed that sexual characteristics (male and female cones and flower buds) are more proven compared to the rest of the characters, and It has a significant and taxonomic role in diagnosing the studied species into groups, so the needle leaves showed clear variations, which makes them the task of classifying them either in their quantitative or qualitative characteristics. The shell of the stem between the species varied markedly and is in the color characteristic, while the most effective charaters in the diagnosis and distinguishing the species were the characteristics of the fruit cones.The cone of seeds (fruits), as the species Juniperus macrocarpa (syno: J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa) prevailed in the size of its large fruits and their dimensions compared to the other two species., as the characteristics of the fruits owning the lobes and the color of the fruits, and the seeds of the species gave clear variations, whether in their quantitative or qualitative characteristics, which also contributed effectively in diagnosing the studied juniper species. Male cones and flower buds had a great taxonomic value.