 Tree about 1.5 m tall, about 80 km S of Wells, Nevada [C.J. Earle, 6-Jul-1995]. |
Juniperus monosperma
(Engelmann) Sargent 1896
Common NamesOne-seed juniper, cherrystone juniper, New Mexico cedar (2), sabina (3).Taxonomic notesSyn: J. gymnocarpa, Sabina monosperma (1), Juniperus occidentalis var. monosperma Engelmann 1878 (3). One variety, gracilis , found in Mexico."Reports of hybridization with J. pinchotii have been refuted by use of numerous chemical and morphologic characters (Adams 1975); the two species have nonoverlapping pollination seasons" (3). Description"Shrubs or trees dioecious, to 7(12) m, usually branching near base; crown rounded to flattened-globose. Bark gray to brown, exfoliating in thin strips, that of small branchlets (5-10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets exfoliating in either flakes or in strips. Branches ascending to erect; branchlets erect, 4-6-sided, ca. 2/3 as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves green to dark green, abaxial glands elongate, fewer than 1/5 of glands (on whip leaves) with an evident white crystalline exudate, margins denticulate (at 20×); whip leaves 4-6 mm, glaucous adaxially; scalelike leaves 1-3 mm, not overlapping, or if so, by less than 1/4 their length, keeled, apex acute to acuminate, spreading. Seed cones maturing in 1 year, of 1 size, with straight peduncles, globose to ovoid, 6-8 mm, reddish blue to brownish blue, glaucous, fleshy and resinous, with 1(-3) seeds. Seeds 4-5 mm" (3).RangeUSA: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas at 1000-2300 m elevation on dry, rocky soils and slopes (3). Other sources (1, 2) constrain the Texas range to the Panhandle, Big Bend & Edwards Plateau areas, and recognize an extension into Mexico (N Sonora & Chihuahua). See also (5).Big TreeDiameter 136 cm, height 9 m, crown spread 9 m, located in the Jicarilla Mountains, NM (4).OldestDendrochronologyEthnobotanyObservationsRemarksCitations(1) Silba 1986 .(2) Peattie 1950 . (3) Adams, Robert P. in Flora of North America online . (4) American Forests 1996. (5) Robert S. Thompson, Katherine H. Anderson and Patrick J. Bartlein. 1999. Atlas of Relations Between Climatic Parameters and Distributions of Important Trees and Shrubs in North America. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1650 A&B. URL= http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/pub/ppapers/p1650-a/pages/conifers.html, accessed 22-Jan-2000. See also Elias 1987 and Little 1980 . |
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