according to http://www.decimaltime.hynes.net/dates.html#jd and reading "X. Calendar Functions" on this side, it seems that php "jd" is precisely mean as "Chronological Julian Day" (should it be named cjd, and primarily strictly mentioned - isn't it?), used for covnersion between calendar systems. Than it's ok (but Incomplete manual is strongly confusing here IMHO).
Even that, cJD is adjusted to a local time, so... I am rather babeled now, so nothing else :-).