Key to Ephedra

View taxon page for Ephedra

(For a list of species in Ephedra, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Leaves, cone bracts generally 3 per 

node 

Position on a stem from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

; seed cones 

sessile 

Without a petiole, peduncle, pedicel, or other kind of stalk.

2. Uppermost 

bud 

1. An incompletely developed, more or less embryonic shoot, usually covered with bud scales. 2. An unopened flower, often protected by sepals.

thorn-like; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

 

sheath 

A surrounding or partially surrounding, often tubular structure or part of a structure, such as a leaf base in Apiaceae or Poaceae.

 persistent, 

fibrous 

1. Pertaining to structures that are composed at least in part of more or less thread-like but usually tough elements (e.g., Yucca leaves). 2. Pertaining to a root system composed of many roots similar in length and thickness (e.g., grass roots).

..... E. trifurca

2' Uppermost bud narrowed but not thorn-like; leaf sheath deciduous, not fibrous

3. Seed not beaked; twig yellow-green in youth; leaf base in age 

recurved 

Gradually curved downward or backward.

, swollen ..... E. californica

3' Seed beaked; twig gray-green in youth; leaf base in age not recurved, not swollen ..... E. funerea

1' Leaves, cone bracts generally 2 per node; seed cones sessile or stalked

4. Distal bracts of seed cone fused >= 2/3, fleshy at maturity ..... E. foeminea

4' Distal bracts of seed cone free or fused < 1/3, scarious at maturity

5. Seed generally 1; seed cone stalk <= 2 mm ..... E. aspera

5' Seeds generally 2; seed cone stalk <= 11(50) mm

6. Twig pale green, glaucous in youth; leaf base gray, deciduous; bracts of seed cone broadly 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

..... E. nevadensis

6' Twig bright- to yellow-green in youth; leaf base brown, persistent; bracts of seed cone 

elliptic 

In the shape of a flattened circle or ellipse; wider than linear

..... E. viridis

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

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