Ephedra funerea |
Ephedra cutleri |
|
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Death Valley Ephedra, Death Valley jointfir, funera Mormon tea |
Cutler's Ephedra, Cutler's jointfir, Cutler's Mormon tea, Navajo Ephedra |
|
Habit | Shrubs erect, 0.25–1.5 m. | Shrubs rhizomatous, forming clumps, erect, 0.25–1.5 m, 3–5 m diam. |
Bark | gray, slightly cracked and irregularly fissured. |
reddish brown, cracked and irregularly fissured. |
Branches | alternate or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 60°. |
alternate or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 25°. |
Twigs | gray-green, becoming gray with age, glaucous, slightly scabrous, with numerous very fine longitudinal grooves; internodes 2–6 cm. |
bright green, becoming yellow-green with age, viscid, ridges between longitudinal grooves papillate; internodes 1–5 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. |
opposite, 2–5 mm, connate to 1/4–1/2 their length; bases thickened, brown, persistent; apex setaceous. |
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. |
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 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. |
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, 1–4 mm, apex acute. |
buds conic, 1–3 mm. |
Ephedra funerea |
Ephedra cutleri |
|
Phenology | Coning March–April. | Coning late winter–midspring (Mar–May). |
Habitat | Sandy, dry soil and rocky scrub areas | Dry, flat, sandy areas, occasionally on rocky slopes |
Elevation | 500–1500 m (1600–4900 ft) | 1400–2300 m (4600–7500 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; NV
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AZ; CO; NM; UT
|
Discussion | Of conservation concern. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The hybrid Ephedra × arenicola is discussed under E. torreyana. (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 | ||
Synonyms | E. californica var. funerea | E. coryi var. viscida, E. viridis var. viscida |
Name authority | Coville & C. V. Morton: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 25: 307. (1935) | Peebles: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 30: 473. (1940) |
Web links |