Ephedra viridis |
Ephedra cutleri |
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green Ephedra, green Mormon tea, Mormon tea |
Cutler's Ephedra, Cutler's jointfir, Cutler's Mormon tea, Navajo Ephedra |
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Habit | Shrubs erect, 0.5–1 m. | Shrubs rhizomatous, forming clumps, erect, 0.25–1.5 m, 3–5 m diam. |
Bark | gray, cracked and irregularly fissured. |
reddish brown, cracked and irregularly fissured. |
Branches | alternate or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 30°. |
alternate or whorled, rigid, angle of divergence about 25°. |
Twigs | bright green to yellow-green, becoming yellow with age, not viscid, ridges between longitudinal grooves barely papillate, smooth; internodes 1–5 cm. |
bright green, becoming yellow-green with age, viscid, ridges between longitudinal grooves papillate; internodes 1–5 cm. |
Leaves | opposite, 2–5 mm, connate to 1/2–3/4 their length, not photosynthetic; bases thickened, brown, persistent, becoming hard, enlarged, and black; apex setaceous. |
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, 5–7 mm, sessile; bracts opposite, 6–10 pairs, light yellow and slightly reddened, ovate, 2–4 × 2–3 mm, membranous, slightly connate at base; bracteoles slightly exceeding bracts; sporangiophores 2–4 mm, 1/4–1/2 exserted, with 5–8 sessile to nearly sessile 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 2–several at node, obovoid, 6–10 mm, sessile or on short, scaly peduncles; bracts opposite, 4–8 pairs, ovate, 4–7 × 2–4 mm, membranous or papery, with yellow center and base, margins entire. |
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, 1–2 mm, apex obtuse. |
buds conic, 1–3 mm. |
2n | = 28. |
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Ephedra viridis |
Ephedra cutleri |
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Phenology | Coning spring. | Coning late winter–midspring (Mar–May). |
Habitat | Dry rocky slopes and canyon walls | Dry, flat, sandy areas, occasionally on rocky slopes |
Elevation | 800–2500 m [2600–8200 ft] | 1400–2300 m [4600–7500 ft] |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OR; UT; WY
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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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 2. | FNA vol. 2. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | E. nevadensis var. pluribracteata, E. nevadensis var. viridis | E. coryi var. viscida, E. viridis var. viscida |
Name authority | Coville: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 4: 220. (1893) | Peebles: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 30: 473. (1940) |
Web links |