Ephedra viridis

Ephedra viridis Coville

by Gayle Gratop, Native Plants Class 2007
Common names: Mormon tea, green ephedra, jointfir.                                                                                       Family: Ephedraceae
Synonymy: Ephedra nevadaensis var.viridis (Coville) M.E. Jones.
Etymology: The genus Ephedra refers the Lain word for horsetail. In Greek Ephedra is the feminine form of Ephedros which translates to sitting up. The specific epithet, viridis, means green.                                                        Identification
Growth form: Shrub (to 2m tall), multiple stemed, erect (1).
Roots:
Stem: Bright green, jointed, broom-like, opposite branched.
Leaves: Leaves are minute scales, located in pairs at nodes, early deciduous leaving persistent brown leaf bases (2).                                                                                                                                       Cones: Individual plants are dioecious bearing only male or female cones. Cones singular or whorled at nodes, male cones in twos or several (5-7mm long) with membranous bracts, female cones (6-10mm long), typically producing 2 seeds (3).
Seed: Three sided, brown and smooth (5-8mm long) (3).
Similar species: E. torreyana is another species of Ephedra that is common in Arizona. It can be distinguished from E. viridis by its coloring which is grayish-green and not as brilliantly green and robust as E. viridis. E. torreyana also has a glaucous coating on its stems. The stems of E. viridis are opposite branched, whereas E. torreyana has three branches per node.

Ecology
Life History: Long-lived dioecious perennial (4).
Native/Introduced: Native (4).
Photosynthetic pathway: E.viridis photosynthesizes through its stems (2).
Phenology: Cones mature in mid-spring (4.) Distribution: Dry rocky slopes and canyon walls, preferring sandy soils, 3,000-7,000ft. E. viridis is found throughout Northern Arizona and is widespread in the American Southwest including west from Oregon and California to Colorado and New Mexico and North from Wyoming down to parts of Mexico.

Uses: The common name, Mormon tea, is derived from a beverage brewed by the early Mormon pioneers that were settling the West in the 1800’s. American Indians and Mexicans make a concoction used for a cooling beverage (1). The branches can be boiled down to make a tea for bronchial dilation. Ephedra contains caffeine and the drug ephedrine, which has been used in decongestants for colds and as a stimulant. It raises blood pressure and creates cardiac stimulation. Ephedrine has been marketed for weight- loss, but the abuse of the drug has led to death (5). Ephedra has also been used for urinary tract infections, as a diuretic and to treat syphilis. In the Grand Canyon, the plant is consumed by bighorn sheep (5).

References
1. Stubbendieck, J., Hatch, S.L., Butterfield, C.H. 1992. North American Range Plants Fourth Edition. University of Nebraska Press. Lincoln, Nebraska.

2. Hogan, P., Huisinga, K., and Kampe, K. 2005. An Annotated Catalog of the Native and Naturalized Flora of Arizona. Arizona Ethnobotanical Research Association. Flagstaff, Arizona.

3. USDA Forest Service. www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Ephedra%20viridis.pdf (30, October 2007).

4. USDA, NCRS.2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 30, October 2007). National Plant Data Center Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

5. Huisinga, K., Makarick, L., Watters, K., 2006. River and Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon. Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana.

Ephedra viridis Coville by Gayle Gratop, Native Plants Class 2007 Common names: Mormon tea, green ephedra, jointfir. Family: Ephedraceae Synonymy: Ephedra nevadaensis var.viridis (Coville) M.E. Jones. Etymology: The genus Ephedra refers the Lain word for horsetail. In Greek Ephedra is the feminine form of Ephedros which translates to sitting up. The specific epithet, viridis, means green. Identification Growth form: Shrub (to 2m tall), multiple stemed, erect (1). Roots: Stem: Bright green, jointed, broom-like, opposite branched. Leaves: Leaves are minute scales, located in pairs at nodes, early deciduous leaving persistent brown leaf bases (2). Cones: Individual plants are dioecious bearing only male or female cones. Cones singular or whorled at nodes, male cones in twos or several (5-7mm long) with membranous bracts, female cones (6-10mm long), typically producing 2 seeds (3). Seed: Three sided, brown and smooth (5-8mm long) (3). Similar species: E. torreyana is another species of Ephedra that is common in Arizona. It can be distinguished from E. viridis by its coloring which is grayish-green and not as brilliantly green and robust as E. viridis. E. torreyana also has a glaucous coating on its stems. The stems of E. viridis are opposite branched, whereas E. torreyana has three branches per node. Ecology Life History: Long-lived dioecious perennial (4). Native/Introduced: Native (4). Photosynthetic pathway: E.viridis photosynthesizes through its stems (2). Phenology: Cones mature in mid-spring (4.) Distribution: Dry rocky slopes and canyon walls, preferring sandy soils, 3,000-7,000ft. E. viridis is found throughout Northern Arizona and is widespread in the American Southwest including west from Oregon and California to Colorado and New Mexico and North from Wyoming down to parts of Mexico. Uses: The common name, Mormon tea, is derived from a beverage brewed by the early Mormon pioneers that were settling the West in the 1800’s. American Indians and Mexicans make a concoction used for a cooling beverage (1). The branches can be boiled down to make a tea for bronchial dilation. Ephedra contains caffeine and the drug ephedrine, which has been used in decongestants for colds and as a stimulant. It raises blood pressure and creates cardiac stimulation. Ephedrine has been marketed for weight- loss, but the abuse of the drug has led to death (5). Ephedra has also been used for urinary tract infections, as a diuretic and to treat syphilis. In the Grand Canyon, the plant is consumed by bighorn sheep (5). References 1. Stubbendieck, J., Hatch, S.L., Butterfield, C.H. 1992. North American Range Plants Fourth Edition. University of Nebraska Press. Lincoln, Nebraska. 2. Hogan, P., Huisinga, K., and Kampe, K. 2005. An Annotated Catalog of the Native and Naturalized Flora of Arizona. Arizona Ethnobotanical Research Association. Flagstaff, Arizona. 3. USDA Forest Service. www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Ephedra%20viridis.pdf (30, October 2007). 4. USDA, NCRS.2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 30, October 2007). National Plant Data Center Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 5. Huisinga, K., Makarick, L., Watters, K., 2006. River and Desert Plants of the Grand Canyon. Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana.