Trees dioecious, to 12 m, single-stemmed to 1--2 m; crown globose. Bark cinnamon to reddish brown or gray to reddish brown, exfoliating in broad interlaced fibrous strips, that of small branchlets (5--10 mm diam.) smooth, that of larger branchlets exfoliating in wide strips or plates. Branches drooping; branchlets flaccid, 3--4-sided in cross section, ca. 2/3 or less as wide as length of scalelike leaves. Leaves green, abaxial gland variable, elongate, conspicuous, exudate absent, margins appearing entire at 20´ but with irregular teeth at 40´; whip leaves 4--6 mm, not glaucous adaxially; scalelike leaves 1.5--2 mm, overlapping by 1/4--1/5 their length, apex rounded to acuminate, spreading. Seed cones maturing in 1 year, of 1 size, with straight to curved peduncles, globose, 9--20 mm, tan-brown to brownish purple when mature, glaucous, obscurely woody, with (4--)6--10(--13) seeds. Seeds 5--6 mm.

Rocky soils and slopes; 900--2900 m; Tex.; Mexico.

This variety is found in Big Bend National Park, Texas. It is abundant in Mexico, where two additional varieties occur: var. poblana Martínez and var. martinezii (Pérez de la Rosa) Silba.