American Ephedra

Shrub, Evergreen, Dioecious, Habit erect, Trees without or rarely having knees, Primary plant stem smooth, Young shoots 3-dimensional, Terminal buds spine-like, Buds not resinous, Leaves scale-like, Leaves whorled, Leaves mostly not photosynthetic, Non-needle-like leaf margins entire, Leaf apex acute, Leaf apex mucronulate, Leaves < 5 cm long, Leaves < 10 cm long, Leaves yellow-green above, Leaves yellow-green below, Leaves yellow below, Leaves grey-green, Leaves not blue-green, Leaf bases becoming gray and shredded with age, Scale leaves without raised glands, Scale leaf glands not ruptured, Scales leaves not or barely overlapping, Twigs glabrous, Twigs not viscid, Twigs without peg-like projections or large fascicles after needles fall, Berry-like cones copper, Bracts of seed cone included, Seeds tan, Seeds brown, Seeds wingless.