A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. It is not a true berry but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which give it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especially Juniperus communis, are used as a spice, particularly in European cuisine, and also give gin its distinctive flavour. Juniper berries have been called the only spice derived from conifers, although tar and inner bark (used as a sweetener in Apache cuisines) from pine trees is sometimes considered a spice as well.