Plants shrubs and trees, monoecious or dioecious. Leaves on immature shoots needle-like and spreading, those on mature shoots scale-like or needle-like, opposite, whorled, or alternate, usually persisting several years, branchlets or individual leaves deciduous in some species. Male strobili (male "cones") terminal on short, lateral shoots,with few scales. each bearing bearing 2-many pollen sacs. Cones with woody, leathery, or somewhat fleshy cone scales, these decussate or spirally arranged, each bearing 1-several ovules on the upper surface; cone scale bracts fused to the cone scale.
The Cupresssaceae family includes about 17 genera and 110 species. It is cosmopolitan in its distribution. Only one genus, Juniperus is present in Somaliland and Somalia.