Sabina monosperma (Engelm.) Rydb.
Juniperus monosperma (Engelm.) Sarg.
Oneseed juniper, cherrystone juniper, New Mexico juniper, west Texas juniper
Oneseed juniper is native to western North America.
Plants: Evergreen shrubs are 6½–39′ (2–12 m) tall, often with one or multiple angled or erect stems, and with rounded crowns. Bark is gray brown, and it exfoliates in thin strips, exposing bright orange-brown beneath.
Leaves: Scale-like, 1/32–1/16 ⨉ ~1/32″ (1–2 ⨉ 0.6–1.5 mm) in size, and green to dark green.
Flowers: A non-flowering species.
Fruits: Produces smooth globular staminate (male) cones and ovulate (female) cones. Mature cones, often referred to as “berries,” are dark blue to purple or brownish, and ⅛–¼″ (6–8 mm) in diameter. Usually male and female cones occur on separate plants. Each cone contains one (rarely 2 or even 3) seed(s). Seeds are reddish brown and ovoid to globose. Cones appear in March to April.
Habitats: Dry rocky, gravelly or sandy soils, open flats and slopes; in canyons or on middle-elevation foothills, at elevations from 3000–7600′ (914–2316 m).
Online References:
Juniperus occidentalis Hook. var. gymnocarpa Lemmon
Sabina monosperma (Engelm.) Rydb.
Sabina monosperma (Engelm.) Rydb.
9/1/2014 · Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico · ≈ 9 × 7″ (21 × 18 cm) 
8/26/2014 · Lava Falls, Malpais National Monument, El Malpais, New Mexico · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 19 cm) 
8/26/2014 · Lava Falls, Malpais National Monument, El Malpais, New Mexico · ≈ 5 × 7″ (13 × 17 cm) 
8/26/2014 · Sandstone Bluffs, Rte. 117, El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 21 cm) 
8/26/2014 · Rt. 40, Roadside Stop, Laguna, New Mexico 
8/26/2014 · Lava Falls, Malpais National Monument, El Malpais, New Mexico · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 22 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Coniferophyta | Conifers—cone-bearing trees (and a few shrubs) |
| Class | Pinopsida | Gymnosperms such as cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces, and yews |
| Order | Pinales | Cone-bearing plants: cedar, cypress, fir, juniper, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, yew, and others |
| Family | Cupressaceae | Cypres family, including junipers and redwoods |
| Genus | Juniperus | Latin for “juniper” |
| Species | monosperma | One-seeded |
Juniperus monosperma description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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