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boundary Ephedra, Mormon tea, pitamoreal, rough jointfir

Habit Shrubs erect, 0.5–1.5 m.
Bark

gray, cracked and fissured.

Branches

opposite or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 30°.

Twigs

pale to dark green, becoming yellow with age, not viscid, slightly to strongly scabrous, with numerous longitudinal grooves;

internodes 1–6 cm.

Leaves

opposite (rarely in whorls of 3), 1–3(–5) mm, connate to 1/2–7/8 their length;

bases thickened, brown, shredding with age, ± persistent;

apex obtuse.

Pollen cones

2 (rarely 1 or whorled) at node, obovoid, 4–7 mm, sessile or rarely on short peduncles;

bracts opposite, 6–10 pairs, yellow to red-brown, obovate, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, membranous;

bracteoles slightly exceeding bracts;

sporangiophores 4–5 mm, 1/2 exserted, with 4–6 sessile to short-stalked (less than 1 mm) microsporangia.

Seed

cones usually 2 at node, ovoid, 6–10 mm, sessile or on short, scaly peduncles;

bracts opposite, 5–7 pairs, circular, 4–7 × 2–4 mm, membranous, with red-brown thickened center and base, margins entire.;

seed 1, ellipsoid, 5–8 × 2–4 mm, light brown to brown, smooth to slightly scabrous.

Terminal

buds conic, 1–2 mm, apex obtuse.

Ephedra aspera

Phenology Coning March–April.
Habitat Dry rocky slopes, ravines, and fans
Elevation 500–1800 m (1600–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; TX; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 2.
Parent taxa Ephedraceae > Ephedra
Sibling taxa
E. antisyphilitica, E. californica, E. coryi, E. cutleri, E. fasciculata, E. funerea, E. nevadensis, E. pedunculata, E. torreyana, E. trifurca, E. viridis
Synonyms E. nevadensis var. aspera, E. peninsularis, E. reedii
Name authority Engelmann ex S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 18: 157. (1883)
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