Shrubs or trees dioecious, to 8 m, single-stemmed to 1 m or branched at base; crown flattened-globose to irregular to round. Bark gray to brown, exfoliating in long ragged strips, that of small branchlets (5--10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets exfoliating in strips, or occasionally in flakes. Branches spreading to ascending; branchlets erect, 3--4-sided in cross section, ca. 2/3 as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves green to light green, abaxial glands elliptic to ovate, at least 1/4 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, spreading. Seed cones maturing in 1 year, of 1 size, with straight peduncles, globose to ovoid, 6--7 mm, rose to pinkish but yellow-orange, orange, or dark red beneath glaucous coating, fleshy and somewhat sweet, with 1(--2) seeds. Seeds 4--5 mm.
Bouteloua grasslands and adjacent rocky slopes; 980--1600(--2200) m; Ariz., N.Mex., Tex.; Mexico.
Roseberry juniper is unusual in that it sprouts from the stump after burning or cutting. Hybridization with Juniperus pinchotii occurs in Big Bend National Park, Texas (R. P. Adams and J. R. Kistler 1991), and possibly near Saltillo, Mexico. Reports of hybridization with J . ashei have been refuted (R. P. Adams 1975).
Plant: evergreen shrub or small tree; 3-8 m tall, crown flattened or irregular; dioecious; bark ashy gray to brown
Leaves: usually decussate, closely appressed, scale-like; glands on awl-like leaves often (more than 25 percent) covered with conspicuous white resin; margin denticulate or serrulate under magnification
Cones: POLLEN CONES terminal, 3-4 mm long, oblong; SEED CONES terminal, 6-7 mm long, spheric to ovate, green with blooms, maturing rose, pink, yellow-orange, orange, or red in first year, glaucous, fleshy, soft, thin-skinned, somewhat sweet
Fruit: SEEDS 1(-2) per cone, 4-5 mm long, ovate to pyriform, grooved, brown; tip acuminate
Misc: Canyons and dry rolling hills, semidesert grassland, oak-juniper woodland; 650-1700 m (2100-5500 ft); Oct-Nov
REFERENCES: Bartel, Jim A. 1994. Cupressaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27, 195-200.
