Ephedra californica |
Ephedra pedunculata |
|
---|---|---|
California Ephedra, California jointfir, cañatillo, desert tea |
clap-weed, vine jointfir |
|
Habit | Shrubs erect, 0.25–1 m. Bark gray-brown, cracked and irregularly fissured. | Shrubs vinelike, trailing or clambering, 6–7 m. Bark gray, slightly cracked and fissured. |
Branches | alternate or whorled, semiflexible to rigid, angle of divergence about 45°. |
alternate (rarely whorled), lax, angle of divergence about 55°. |
Twigs | yellow-green, becoming yellow, then yellow-brown with age, glaucous, with numerous very fine longitudinal grooves; internodes 3–10 cm. |
gray-green, becoming green, then yellow-green with age, glaucous, with several moderately deep longitudinal grooves; internodes 1–8 cm. |
Leaves | in whorls of 3, 2–6 mm, connate to 1/2–3/4 their length; bases at first membranous, then becoming thickened, completely deciduous; apex acute. |
opposite, 1–3 mm, connate to 2/3–7/8 their length; bases splitting at margins, persistent; apex obtuse. |
Pollen cones | 1–several at node, ovoid, 6–8 mm, on short, scaly peduncles; bracts in 8–12 whorls of 3, light orange-yellow, ovate, 2–3 × 2–3 mm, membranous, slightly united at base; bracteoles equaling or slightly exceeding bracts; sporangiophores 3–5 mm, exserted to 1/3 their length, with 3–7 sessile to short-stalked microsporangia. |
1–2 at node, lanceoloid, 4–8 mm, sessile or on short to long, smooth peduncles; bracts opposite, 6–12 pairs, light yellow to reddish, obovate, 2–4 × 2–3 mm, membranous, free or slightly connate at base; bracteoles barely exceeding bracts; sporangiophores 3–5 mm, exserted to 1/2 their length, with 4–6 long-stalked (1–2 mm) microsporangia. |
Seed(s) | cones 1–several at node, ovoid, 8–10 mm, on very short, scaly peduncles; bracts in 4–6 whorls of 3, circular, 5–7 × 5–10 mm, papery, with orange- to green-yellow center and base, slightly clawed, margins entire. |
cones 1–2 at node, ovoid, 6–10 mm, on short to long, smooth peduncles; bracts opposite, 3–6 pairs, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, ovate, connate to 1/8–7/8 their length, inner pairs becoming succulent and red when ripe. |
Terminal | buds conic, 2–3 mm, apex acute. |
buds attenuate, 1–3 mm. |
Ephedra californica |
Ephedra pedunculata |
|
Phenology | Coning March–April. | Coning midwinter–early spring. |
Habitat | Dry slopes and fans to valley grasslands | Dry, sandy to rocky areas and slopes |
Elevation | 50–1000 m (200–3300 ft) | 100–1000 m (300–3300 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; Mexico in Baja California
|
TX; n Mexico |
Discussion | Of conservation concern. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 2. | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Ephedraceae > Ephedra | Ephedraceae > Ephedra |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 300. (1879) | Engelmann ex S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 18: 157. (1883) |
Web links |