Ephedra nevadensis |
Ephedra californica |
|
---|---|---|
Nevada Ephedra, Nevada jointfir, Nevada Mormon tea |
California Ephedra, California jointfir, cañatillo, desert tea |
|
Habit | Shrubs erect, 0.25–1.5 m. | Shrubs erect, 0.25–1 m. |
Bark | gray, fissured. |
gray-brown, cracked and irregularly fissured. |
Branches | alternate or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 45°. |
alternate or whorled, semiflexible to rigid, angle of divergence about 45°. |
Twigs | pale green, becoming yellow with age, not viscid, glaucous, with numerous longitudinal grooves; internodes 1–6 cm. |
yellow-green, becoming yellow, then yellow-brown with age, glaucous, with numerous very fine longitudinal grooves; internodes 3–10 cm. |
Leaves | opposite (rarely in whorls of 3), 2–4(–8) mm, connate to 1/2–3/4 their length; bases thickened, brown, completely deciduous; apex obtuse. |
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. |
Pollen cones | 1–several at node, ellipsoid, 4–8 mm, sessile or on short peduncles with 2 pairs of basal bracts; bracts opposite, 5–9 pairs, yellow to light brown, obovate, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, membranous; bracteoles slightly exceeding bracts; sporangiophores 3–5 mm, exserted to 1/4–1/2 their length, with 6–9 sessile to short-stalked (less than 1 mm) microsporangia. |
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. |
Seed(s) | cones 1–several at node, nearly globose, 5–11 mm, on long peduncles, with 1–2 pairs of basal bracts; bracts opposite, 3–5 pairs, nearly circular, 4–8 × 3–6 mm, herbaceous, with light brown to yellow-green center, occasionally pinkish tinged, margins entire. |
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. |
Terminal | buds conic, 1–3 mm, apex obtuse. |
buds conic, 2–3 mm, apex acute. |
2n | = 14, 28. |
|
Ephedra nevadensis |
Ephedra californica |
|
Phenology | Coning late winter–midspring. | Coning March–April. |
Habitat | Dry, rocky slopes and hills, rarely in sandy flat areas | Dry slopes and fans to valley grasslands |
Elevation | 700–1900 m (2300–6200 ft) | 50–1000 m (200–3300 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; NV; OR; UT
|
CA; Mexico in Baja California
|
Source | FNA vol. 2. | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | Ephedraceae > Ephedra | Ephedraceae > Ephedra |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | E. antisyphilitica, E. antisyphilitica var. pedunculata, E. nevadensis var. paucibracteata | |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 298. (1879) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 300. (1879) |
Web links |