Ephedra viridis (Green Ephedra, Mormon Tea)

5/25/03 Roadside at Mid Hills near campground, Mojave National Preserve (E. Mojave),

San Bernardino County, CA

5/25/03 Mid Hills

 6/10/00 Mid Hills

8/18/11 Alabama Hills, Lone Pine Region, Eastern Sierra, Inyo County, CA

 10/31/98 Mid Hills

LIFE LIST NOTES:

COMMON NAME: Green Ephedra, Mormon Tea

SPECIES: Ephedra viridis

FAMILY: Ephedraceae (Ephedra Family)

LIFE LIST DATE: 10/31/1998

LOCATION: Mid Hills, Mojave National Preserve (East Mojave), San Bernardino County, CA

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Treatment from The Jepson Manual (1993):

Stem < 1.5 m; twig bright green to yellow-green when young, aging yellow, tip not thorn-like

Leaves generally 2 per node, < 6 mm; bases thickened, persistent, brown

Pollen cones 2–5 per node, 5–7 mm

Seed cones 2–6 per node, 6–10 mm, obovoid, sessile or stalk < 5 mm

Seeds 2, 5–8 mm, 3-angled, smooth

Ecology: Sagebrush scrub, creosote-bush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland

Elevation: 900–2300 m.  

Bioregional distribution: s Sierra Nevada Foothills, Tehachapi Mountain Area, San Joaquin Valley, South Coast Ranges, Western Transverse Ranges, Great Basin Floristic Province, Desert Mountains 

Distribution outside California: to Colorado

Synonyms: E. nevadensis var. v. (Coville) M.E. Jones  

Horticultural information: DRN, DRY, SUN: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.