Ephedra funerea
Ephedra funerea is a species of Ephedra, known by the common name Death Valley jointfir or Death Valley ephedra.
| Death Valley jointfir | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Gnetophyta |
| Class: | Gnetopsida |
| Order: | Ephedrales |
| Family: | Ephedraceae |
| Genus: | Ephedra |
| Species: | E. funerea |
| Binomial name | |
| Ephedra funerea | |
It is native to the Mojave Desert of California, Arizona and Nevada. It is named after a population in the Funeral Mountains, in Death Valley National Park.[1][2]
Native Americans and Mormon pioneers drank a tea brewed from this plant called Mormon Tea or Indian Tea.
Description
The Ephedra funerea shrub is made up of erect twigs which are gray-green when new and age to gray and cracked. There are tiny leaves at nodes along the twigs. Male plants produce pollen cones at the nodes which are up to 8 millimeters long, and female plants produce seed cones which are slightly longer and may grow on stalks.[3][4]
References
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