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Ephedra (ancient Greek name, used by Pliny for the horse-tail). Gnetaceae. Woody subjects, rarely cultivated; usually found only in botanical collections, although the scarlet fruits of some species are very attractive.
Usually low much-branched shrubs, often procumbent and sometimes climbing, the green branches resembling much those of Equisetum, bearing minute, scale-like, sheathing lvs. in distant pairs or whorls: fls. dioecious, in small aments, forming usually peduncled axillary clusters; staminate fl. with a 2-4-lobed perianth and with the 2-8 stamens united into a column; pistillate fl. with an urceolate perianth, including a naked ovule, developing into a nutlet; in some species the bracts of the ament become fleshy, and form a berry-like syncarp.—About 30 species from S. Eu., N. Afr., Asia and in Trop. Amer. Latest monograph by O. Stapf, in Denkschr. Akad. Wissensch. Wien., vol. 56 (1889), (in German and Latin). Curious-looking, usually low shrubs, with pale green apparently leafless branchlets, much resembling those of the horse-tail and with inconspicuous fls., but fr. in some species decorative, berry-like and scarlet. They are but rarely grown, and most of them are tender; half- hardy N. are E. distachya, E. foliata, E. nevadensis, E. trifurca. They can be used for covering dry, sandy banks or rocky slopes. Prop, is by seeds or by suckers and layers.
E. altissima, Desf. Climbing shrub, to 20 ft., green: lvs to 1 in. long: aments paniculate or solitary; fls. with 2-3 stamens: pistillate fls. 1-2: fr. berry-like, ovoid, ⅓ in. long, scarlet. N. Afr. B.M. 7070. G.C. 111.7:792.—K. distachya, Linn. (E. vulgaris, Linn.). Low, often procumbent, 1-3 ft., pale or bluish green: lvs. one-twelveth in. long: aments usually clustered, staminate oblong: fls. with about 8 stamens, pistillate 2-fld.: fr. berry-like. S. Eu., W. Asia. R.F.G. 11:809. Var. monostachya, Stapf. Aments usually solitary.—E. foliata, Boiss. (E. kokanica, Regel). Procumbent or erect, to 15 ft., bright or bluish green: lvs. to 1 in. Long: aments usually clustered, ovate; staminate fls. with 3—1 sessile stamens; pistillate 2-fld.: fr. berry-like. W. Asia.—E. kokanica, Regel=E. foliata.—E. nebrodeneis. Tineo. Erect, with rigid, pale green branches: lvs. ⅛ in. long: aments solitary or few; staminate globular; pistillate 2-fld.: fr. berry-like. Medit. region to Himalayas.—E. nevadensis, Wats. Erect, 2-3 ft., with pale or bluish green branches: lvs. ⅛ in.: aments usually solitary; staminate ovate, 6-8-fld.; pistillate 2-fld.: fr. dry, with ovate bracts. Calif., New Mex.—E. trifiirca, Torr. Erect, with rigid, yellowish or pale green branches: lvs. in 3's, connate, about ⅛ in. long; aments solitary; pistillate 1-fld.: fr. dry, the roundish bracts with transparent margins. Ariz. to Colo.—E.vulgaris, Linn=E. distachya. Alfred Rehder.
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