This thermally protective but highly flammable, drought-tolerant and browsing-resistant tree is widespread across eastern North America. However, large groves were quite local before settlement (with some perhaps concentrated around overwintering grounds of migrating megafauna). In Ky. it spread to become locally dominant in rough pastures and old fields after settlement, whereas it had been largely restricted to more open woods on rocky base-rich soils before. Even as late as 1900-1910 (Gm, Barton 1919), it was reportedly concentrated in or near: (a) the eastern Pennyrhile Karst Plain (especially LOGA) and western Knobs; (b) the southern Cliff Section (especially PULA and WAYN); and (c) more locally along the Kentucky River Palisades. Barton's data indicate two remarkable bands from north to south across the state: (a) and (b) plus (c). Sabina may be a reasonable genus (W), and the name S. virginiana (L.) Antoine would then be applied to this widespread species of eastern and central North America. However, there would be much popular resistance to the change. The more columnar form with ascending branches, named var. crebra Fern. & Grisc., has been reported by Davies (1955a) and others (CW), but verified colls. are unknown. That northern segregate was recognized in the manuals of F and Cr, but not in more recent treatments (FNA 2, W). Several cultivars are widely grown for ornamental use, usually with relatively compact form or bluish foliage (e.g. "Glauca"). The species is strictly diocecious and usually has sex ratio of about 1:1, but males can become more frequent on xeric sites (Vasiliauskas & Aarssen 1992, Lawton & Cothran 2000, Quinn & Meiners 2004). Males tend to have faster growth and to begin reproducing earlier, but these trends are erratic. The state champion is in GRNP (KDF 2022): 123 cm dbh; 20-4 m tall; 15.2 m wide; a rival is in JEFF at