Utah Juniper vs Rocky Mountain Juniper
See associated observations: sample from both trees are shown together:
J. osteosperma sample on the left, J. scopulorum on the right.
samples taken from the observations associated with this post.
J. osteo......................................................J. scop.
single large seed.....................................2 (3) seeds
leaf margins finely...................................leaf margins entire/smooth
denticulate/serrulate
branchlets thicker .................................branchlets slender
stiff, chaotic.............................................less stiff, more elongate, sweeping
Range overlaps substantially, seems to be somewhat sorted by elevation but not entirely. I do not know how consistent this is. Temperature? UV exposure? Seasonal highs or lows? Soil? Moisture?
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma)Observer
chaunceyDescription
In photos comparing osteo and scop: Left sample is J. osteosperma, right is J. scopulorum.
osteo., = single seed, finely denticulate leaf margins.
J. scop branchlets thinner.
Comments
I go mostly by "pointiness" - scopulorum has acuminate to mucronate scale-leaf tips, the twigs tend to be pointed and slender and droop near the ends, and the whole tree is more likely to have a single trunk and a pyramidal crown. As for ecology, osteosperma generally occupies sites with higher drought stress, which can be linked to a variety of other factors - latitude, elevation, soil conditions or parent material.
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