CONIFERJE 89 



sometimes 2 in diameter, generally divided near the ground by irregular deep fis- 

 sures into broad rounded ridges, many erect contorted branches forming a broad open 

 head, slender light yellow-green branchlets covered after the falling of the leaves 

 with thin light red-brown scaly bark; more often with numerous stems spreading 

 from the ground and frequently not more .than 8-10 high. Bark about \' thick, 



ri<. 78 



ashy gray or sometimes nearly white, and broken into long tliin persistent scales. 

 Wood light brown, slightly fragrant, with thick nearly white sapwood ; largely used 

 locally for fuel and fencing. The fruit is eaten by Indians fresh or ground and 

 baked into cakes. 



Distribution. In the desert region between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra 

 Nevada, where it is the most abundant and most generally distributed tree, from the 

 western foothills of the Wahsatch Mountains in eastern Utah to southeastern Cali- 

 fornia, northern Arizona, western Colorado, and southern Wyoming; in central 

 Nevada often descending into the valleys and forming open stunted forests at ele- 

 vations of about 5000; more abundant and of larger size on arid slopes to eleva- 

 tions of 8000 above the sea in dense nearly pure forests. 



- *- Seeds j^-12. 



4. Juniperus flaocida, Schlecht. Juniper. 



Leaves opposite, long-pointed, and sometimes slightly spreading at the apex, 

 rounded and conspicuously glandular on the back, light yellow-green, about \' long, 

 turning cinnamon-red and dying on the branch; on vigorous young shoots ovate- 

 lanceolate, sometimes ^ long, with elongated rigid callous tips. Flo"wers: stami- 

 nate slender, composed of 16-20 stamens, with ovate pointed connectives promi- 

 nently keeled on the back; pistillate with acute or acuminate spreading scales. 

 Fruit globose or oblong, irregularly tuberculate, dull red-brown, more or less 

 covered with a glaucous bloom, marked by the numerous reflexed tips of the flower- 

 scales, ^'-f' long, with a close firm epidermis and dry mealy flesh ; seeds 4-12, 

 often abortive and distorted, about \' long, with 2 cotyledons. 



A tree, occasionally 30 high, with gracefully spreading branches and long slender 

 drooping branchlets, covered after the leaves fall with thin bright cinnamon-brown 

 bark separating into thin loose papery scales; often a shrub. 



