Ephedra funerea |
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Death Valley Ephedra, Death Valley jointfir, funera Mormon tea |
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Habit | Shrubs erect, 0.25–1.5 m. |
Bark | gray, slightly cracked and irregularly fissured. |
Branches | alternate or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 60°. |
Twigs | gray-green, becoming gray with age, glaucous, slightly scabrous, with numerous very fine longitudinal grooves; internodes 2–6 cm. |
Leaves | in whorls of 3, 2–6 mm, connate to 2/3–3/4 their length; bases splitting at margins, persistent, forming black, thickened collar; apex acute. |
Pollen cones | 1–3 at node, narrowly ellipsoid, 5–8 mm, on very short, scaly peduncles (rarely sessile); bracts in 6–9 whorls of 3, light yellow, ovate, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, membranous, base short-clawed; bracteoles equaling bracts; sporangiophores 3–5 mm, exserted to 1/3 their length, with 3–7 sessile to short-stalked microsporangia. |
Seed(s) | cones 1–3 at node, lance-obovoid, 8–15 mm, on short, scaly peduncles (rarely sessile); bracts in 6–9 whorls of 3, obovate, 4–8 × 3–5 mm, papery, yellow-translucent with green-yellow center and base, base broadly clawed, margins slightly dentate. |
Terminal | buds conic, 1–4 mm, apex acute. |
Ephedra funerea |
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Phenology | Coning March–April. |
Habitat | Sandy, dry soil and rocky scrub areas |
Elevation | 500–1500 m (1600–4900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; NV
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Discussion | Of conservation concern. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Ephedraceae > Ephedra |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | E. californica var. funerea |
Name authority | Coville & C. V. Morton: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 25: 307. (1935) |
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