Image of American Ephedra

Description:

Young female plant in full cone, with many erect, jointed, spine tipped branches with much reduced leaves in sheathed whorls of 3 at the node.Though reduced, the slender, persistent, awn-like leaves are are still the longest, most noticeable, among other southwestern Ephedra. Plant at base of west facing hillside of clayish silts overlain by mixed coarse rhyolite gravels