Ephedra californica S.Watson

Mexican tea (en)

Species

Gymnosperms > Gnetales > Ephedraceae > Ephedra

Characteristics

Shrubs erect, 0.25--1 m. Bark gray-brown, cracked and irregularly fissured. Branches alternate or whorled, semiflexible to rigid, angle of divergence about 45°. Twigs yellow-green, becoming yellow, then yellow-brown with age, glaucous, with numerous very fine longitudinal grooves; internodes 3--10 cm. Terminal buds conic, 2--3 mm, apex acute. Leaves 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, 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 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. Seeds 1(--2), nearly globose, 7--10 mm diam., brown, smooth.
More
A shrub.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.25 - 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-3
Soil texture 5-6
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses animal food beverage environmental use material medicinal
Edible seeds stems
Therapeutic use Blood Medicine (unspecified), Dietary Aid (unspecified), Gastrointestinal Aid (unspecified), Kidney Aid (unspecified), Venereal (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Flower

Ephedra californica flower picture by Martin Bishop (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Ephedra californica world distribution map, present in United States of America

Conservation status

Ephedra californica threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:383367-1
WFO ID wfo-0000794325
COL ID 6FNDR
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ephedra californica