Ephedraceae is a plant family in the Plantae kingdom, order Ephedrales, class Gnetopsida. The family contains 23 accepted species worldwide. Some species in this family are toxic — exercise caution when handling unknown specimens.
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Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey.
Ephedra intermedia is a dioecious shrub that grows in dry rocky or sandy habitat…
Ephedra przewalskii Stapf
Ephedra przewalskii is an Ephedra species native to Central and East Asia, first…
Ephedra californica S.Watson
Ephedra californica S.Watson is a spindly desert shrub native to western North A…
Ephedra monosperma J.G.Gmel. ex C.A.Mey.
Ephedra monosperma is a small perennial shrub from Asia, an Ephedrae herb used i…
Ephedra distachya L.
Ephedra distachya L. is a 25–50 cm tall Ephedraceae shrub that is the source of …
Ephedra trifurca Torr. ex S.Watson
Ephedra trifurca is a sprawling dioecious shrub with sharp twigs that can reach …
Ephedra nevadensis S.Watson
Ephedra nevadensis is a North American desert gymnosperm used as non-toxic lives…
⚠️ Poisonous
Ephedra viridis Coville
Ephedra viridis, or green Mormon tea, is a photosynthetic shrub with medicinal u…
⚠️ Poisonous
Ephedra torreyana S.Watson
Ephedra torreyana, or Torrey's jointfir/Torrey's Mormon tea, is an Ephedra speci…
Ephedra aspera Engelm. ex S.Watson
Ephedra aspera is a dioecious branched shrub with distinct male pollen cones and…
Ephedra antisyphilitica Berland. ex C.A.Mey.
Ephedra antisyphilitica is a North American plant species, an earlier-named taxo…
Ephedra fragilis Desf.
Ephedra fragilis, commonly called joint pine, is an Ephedra species native to th…
Ephedraceae plants belong to the Ephedrales order in the Plantae kingdom. This plant is native to a wide range of distinct areas in central and southern California, Baja California, and western Arizona. For instant identification, use the iNature app — AI-powered and works offline.
Ephedraceae is classified in the order Ephedrales, class Gnetopsida, phylum Tracheophyta. Historically, it was well known for being used to make tea in Mormon communities.
Yes, some Ephedraceae species are toxic or poisonous. Always exercise caution with unknown specimens. View poisonous Ephedraceae species or browse the full poisonous species guide.
Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia · Disclaimer
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