Ephedra (plant)

Lore & Background

Members of the genus are generally shrubs, sometimes clambering vines, and rarely small trees, frequently spreading by rhizomes. Their stems are green and photosynthetic, with leaves that are opposite or whorled, typically scalelike and fused into a sheath at the base, often shed soon after development. Most species have rudimentary leaves without chlorophyll, though a few, like E. altissima, develop slender leaf-like leaves up to 5 cm long. The plants are mostly dioecious, with pollen strobili in whorls of 1–10 and female strobili with bracts that fuse around a single ovule. Fleshy bracts are white or red, and there are generally 1–2 yellow to dark brown seeds per strobilus.

Reader's Guide

Ephedra holds significance as the only extant genus in its family and order, and as one of three living genera in the ancient division Gnetophyta. Molecular clock estimates suggest the last common ancestor of living species lived during the Early Oligocene around 30 million years ago, though pollen evidence from the Late Cretaceous indicates the lineage may be older. The genus is the source of the stimulant ephedrine, which is named after it. Common names include joint-pine, jointfir, Mormon-tea, and Brigham tea; in Chinese it is called mahuang. The plants are adapted to dry and desert regions, growing in sandy soils with direct sun exposure in temperate climates.

Did You Know?

• Ephedra is the only extant genus in its family Ephedraceae and order Ephedrales.
• The Chinese name for Ephedra is mahuang, meaning 'hemp yellow'.
• The stimulant ephedrine is named after the genus Ephedra.