Shrubs or trees monoecious, to 6(--12) m, multi- or single-stemmed; crown rounded. Bark exfoliating in thin gray-brown strips, that of smaller and larger branchlets smooth. Branches spreading to ascending; branchlets erect, 3--4-sided in cross section, about as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves light yellow-green, abaxial glands inconspicuous and embedded, exudate absent, margins denticulate (at 20´); whip leaves 3--5 mm, glaucous adaxially; scalelike leaves 1--2 mm, not overlapping, or, if so, by less than 1/10 their length, keeled, apex rounded, acute or occasionally obtuse, appressed. Seed cones maturing in 1--2 years, of 1--2 sizes, with straight peduncles, globose, (6--)8--9(--12) mm, bluish brown, often almost tan beneath glaucous coating, fibrous, with 1(--2) seeds. Seeds 4--5 mm. Dry, rocky soil and slopes; 1300--2600 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Utah, Wyo. Juniperus osteosperma is the dominant juniper of Utah. It is reported to hybridize with J . occidentalis in northwestern Nevada (F. C. Vasek 1966).

Plant: tree; usually single-trunked, less than 8 m tall; usually monoecious; STEMS short shoots 3- or 4-angled; bark gray-brown, weathering ash-white Leaves: decussate or tricussate, closely appressed, scale-like; gland obscure; margin denticulate or serrulate under magnification Cones: POLLEN CONES terminal, 2-3 mm long, cylindric; SEED CONES terminal, (5-)8-13 mm long, spheric, green, maturing brown-blue to usually red-brown in second year, dry, hard, fibrous Fruit: SEEDS 1(-2) per cone, 3-5 mm long, ovoid, strongly angled Misc: Dry rocky plains and plateaus; juniper and pinyon-juniper woodland, pine-oak forest, grassland; (350-)900-2400 m [(1150-)3000-7800 ft]; Mar-Apr REFERENCES: Bartel, Jim A. 1994. Cupressaceae. J. Ariz. – Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27, 195-200.