Ephedra cutleri |
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Cutler's Ephedra, Cutler's jointfir, Cutler's Mormon tea, Navajo Ephedra |
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Habit | Shrubs rhizomatous, forming clumps, erect, 0.25–1.5 m, 3–5 m diam. |
Bark | reddish brown, cracked and irregularly fissured. |
Branches | alternate or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 25°. |
Twigs | bright green, becoming yellow-green with age, viscid, ridges between longitudinal grooves papillate; internodes 1–5 cm. |
Leaves | opposite, 2–5 mm, connate to 1/4–1/2 their length; bases thickened, brown, persistent; apex setaceous. |
Pollen cones | 2–several at node, obovoid, 4–6 mm, on very short, scaly peduncles (rarely sessile); bracts opposite, 5–9 pairs, light yellow, ovate, 2–4 × 2–3 mm, membranous, slightly connate at base; bracteoles slightly exceeding bracts; sporangiophores 2–4 mm, barely exserted, with 5–7 sessile to short-stalked (less than 1 mm) microsporangia. |
Seed(s) | cones 2–several at node, obovoid to nearly globose, 7–15 mm, peduncles 5–25 mm, with 1 pair of basal and 1 pair of nearly terminal bracts; bracts opposite, 3 or 4 pairs, ovate, 3–6 × 2–5 mm, membranous, with yellow center and base, margins entire. |
Terminal | buds conic, 1–3 mm. |
Ephedra cutleri |
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Phenology | Coning late winter–midspring (Mar–May). |
Habitat | Dry, flat, sandy areas, occasionally on rocky slopes |
Elevation | 1400–2300 m (4600–7500 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CO; NM; UT
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Discussion | The hybrid Ephedra × arenicola is discussed under E. torreyana. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Ephedraceae > Ephedra |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | E. coryi var. viscida, E. viridis var. viscida |
Name authority | Peebles: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 30: 473. (1940) |
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