Ephedra trifurca (Longleaf jointfir)

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Ephedra trifurca Torr. ex S. Watson

Longleaf jointfir, Mexican tea

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Gnetophyta	Gymnospermous flowering plants; supposed link between conifers and flowering plants
Class	Gnetopsida	Woody plants, most closely related to conifers
Order	Ephedrales	A monogeneric order of gymnosperms in the subdivision Gneticae
Family	Ephedraceae	Mormon-tea or joint-fir Family
Genus	Ephedra	From Greek name ephedra used by Pliny for the common mare’s tail (Hipparus) which it somewhat resembles
Species	trifurca	Thrice forked

About plant names...

Mexican tea is native to Baja Califormia, Chihuahua and Sonora in northwestern Mexico, as well as to much of the American southwest. It is fairly common in desert scrub habitats.

Plants: Shrubs are up to 6½′ (2 m) high, made of erect, round, jointed branches that look like someone plunged a clump of slightly crooked straws into the ground together. The branches are pointed, and have fine grooves along their length, and are light green at first, aging to yellowish, then greenish gray.

Leaves: Small scaly leaves poke out of stem nodes.

Flowers: This species does not produce flowers.

Fruits: Male plants produce pollen cones up to ⅜″ (1 cm) long, while female plants produce slightly larger cones containing a seed in a papery envelope. Cones appear at stem nodes, in late winter or early spring.

Medical: Plants contain a small amount of ephedrine, a drug that is used medically for relief of shortness of breath due to bronchial asthma. It reduces swelling and constricts blood vessels. Ephedrine is dangerous for people with some health conditions. The PDR for Herbal Medicines does not list this species at all. Tea made from this plant is so low in ephedrine that it is probably neither harmful nor efficacious. This doesn’t deter the snake oil sellers, though.

Online References:

Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert

The Gymnosperm Database

Wikipedia

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

The Jepson Manual

Calflora

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm)

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)

Ephedra trifurca description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

4/28/2018 · High Point Overlook, Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)

4/28/2018 · High Point Overlook, Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 6 × 10″ (16 × 24 cm)

4/30/2018 · Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve, California · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)

4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)

4/30/2018 · Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve, California · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm)

4/28/2018 · High Point Overlook, Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Range:

About this map...