Flora of North America species comparison

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Juniperus osteosperma

sabina morena, Utah juniper
Habit 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 20x);

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(s)

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.

Juniperus osteosperma
Habitat Dry, rocky soil and slopes
Elevation 1300–2600 m [4300–8500 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Juniperus osteosperma is the dominant juniper of Utah. It is reported to hybridize with J. occidentalis in northwestern Nevada (F. C. Vasek 1966).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Cupressaceae > Juniperus > sect. Sabina
Sibling taxa
J. ashei, J. californica, J. coahuilensis, J. communis, J. deppeana, J. flaccida, J. horizontalis, J. monosperma, J. occidentalis, J. pinchotii, J. scopulorum, J. virginiana
Synonyms J. tetragona var. osteosperma, J. californica var. utahensis, Sabina osteosperma, Sabina utahensis
Name authority (Torrey) Little: Leafl. W. Bot. 5: 125. (1948)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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