Shrubs or small trees dioecious, to 4 m (if trees, to 10 m), multistemmed, decumbent or rarely upright; crown generally depressed. Bark brown, fibrous, exfoliating in thin strips, that of small branchlets (5--10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets exfoliating in strips and plates. Branches spreading or ascending; branchlets erect, terete. Leaves green but sometimes appearing silver when glaucous, spreading, abaxial glands very elongate; adaxial surface with glaucous stomatal band; apex acute to obtuse, mucronate. Seed cones maturing in 2 years, of 2 distinct sizes, with straight peduncles, globose to ovoid, 6--13 mm, bluish black, glaucous, resinous to obscurely woody, with 2--3 seeds. Seeds 4--5 mm. 2 n = 22. Juniperus communis is the most widespread juniper species, and many subspecies and varieties have been described. A major study, including chemical characters, is needed to clarify the taxonomy. J. D. A. Franco (1962) recognized four subspecies (here considered varieties); two of these---var. communis and var. hemisphaerica (J. Presl & C. Presl) Parlatore---do not occur in the flora and a fifth, recognized here, was not treated by Franco. The seed cones of Juniperus communis are used to flavor gin.

Plant: shrub; decumbent or rarely upright, mostly less than 1(-4) m tall; usually dioecious; bark red-brown, peeling in papery sheets Leaves: usually tricussate, sub-erect to spreading, awl- or needle-like, jointed to decurrent nongreen base Cones: POLLEN CONES axillary, 4-5 mm long; SEED CONES axillary, 5-13 mm long, more or less spheric, red, maturing bright blue to blue-black in second to usually third year, resinous, often obscurely woody Fruit: SEEDS (1-)2-3 per cone, 2-5 mm long, ovoid, acute, usually 3-angled REFERENCES: Bartel, Jim A. 1994. Cupressaceae. J. Ariz. – Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27, 195-200.