Juniperus flaccida


Juniperus flaccida is a large shrub or small tree reaching 5–10 m tall. It is native to central and northern Mexico and the extreme southwest of Texas, United States. It grows at moderate altitudes of 800-2,600 m, on dry soils.
The bark is brown, with stringy vertical fissuring. The shoots are strongly pendulous, 1-1.2 mm diameter, and often borne in flattened sprays. The leaves are arranged in opposite decussate pairs; the adult leaves are scale-like, 2–4 mm long and 1-1.5 mm broad. The juvenile leaves are needle-like, 5–10 mm long. The cones are berry-like, 8–20 mm in diameter, green maturing brown, and contain 6-12 seeds ; they are mature in about 18 months. The male cones are 3–5 mm long, and shed their pollen in spring. It is largely dioecious, producing cones of only one sex on each tree.
There are three varieties, not accepted as distinct by all authorities: