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Ephedra sinica

(Chinese Ephedra, Ma Huang)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in Chinese:

Cao Ma-Huang, Ma-Huang

Common Names in English:

Cao Ma-Huang, Chinese Ephedra, Chinese Joint-Fir, Ma Huang

Description

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Family Ephedraceae

Shrubs , subshrubs , or herbs, dioecious, rarely monoecious; stems erect , procumbent , or occasionally climbing , jointed , much branched, photosynthetic; branchlets opposite or whorled , green, terete , longitudinally grooved . Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, scalelike, basally connate and reduced to membranous sheaths , generally ephemeral , mostly not photosynthetic; resin canals absent. Cones terminal or axillary , ovoid or ellipsoid . Pollen cones solitary or clustered at nodes, each cone composed of membranous bracts arranged in 2-8 decussate pairs or whorls of 3; proximal bracts empty; each distal bract subtending a male flower composed of 2 basally fused, orbicular or obovate scales (false perianth) ; anthers sessile or stipitate on staminal column. Seed cones opposite or in whorls of 3 or 4 at nodes, each cone composed of overlapping bracts; bracts arranged in 2-10 decussate pairs or whorls of 3, red and fleshy at maturity (rarely brown and membranous), proximal bracts empty, most distal bracts subtending an axillary female flower composed of a pair of fused, leathery scales (false perianth) enclosing ovule with a single membranous integument prolonged into a slender, tubular micropyle. Seeds 1 or 2(or 3) per cone. Cotyledons 2. Germination epigeal. 2n = 14*, ?24*, 28*, ?36*, 56*.

One genus and ca. 40 species; arid regions of E and N Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America; 14 species (two endemic) in China.Liguo Fu, Yong-fu Yu & Harald Riedl "Ephedraceae". in Flora of China Vol. 4 Page 97. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Genus Ephedra

Shrubs or occasionally clambering vines . Branches jointed , yellowish green to olive-green when young. Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, apex obtuse to setaceous from an adaxial-median thickening. Pollen cones lanceoloid or ellipsoid to ovoid or obovoid . Seed cones ellipsoid to ovoid, obovoid, or nearly globose . Seeds ellipsoid to globose, yellow to dark brown, smooth to scabrous or furrowed . x = 7.

Species ca. 60: generally dry areas in temperate , tropical North America and Mediterranean regions, Mexico, South America (Ecuador to Patagonia and lowland Argentina), s Europe, Asia, n Africa (including Canary Islands).

The North American species of Ephedra are well defined based on combinations of vegetative and reproductive characters. Putative hybrids reported and described by H. C. Cutler (1939) appear to be products of singular events; these hybrids are discussed under the parental species. Infraspecific taxa are not recognized in this treatment because there appear to be no consistent defining characters and no geographic correlations ; previous recognition of infraspecific taxa (H. C. Cutler 1939) appears to be based on random variability.Zhen-lan Wu & Sylvia M. Phillips "Ephedra". in Flora of North America Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Species Ephedra sinica

Subshrubs small, to 40 cm, sparsely branched; woody stems short or prostrate ; branchlets straight or curved , sometimes slightly involute , internodes (2.5-) 3-4(-5.5) cm × ca. 2 mm, shallowly furrowed . Leaves opposite, connate for 1/3-2/3 their length, free part subulate to narrowly triangular, to 5 mm, apex sharply pointed . Pollen cones sessile or pedunculate , solitary or in clusters at nodes, rarely terminal ; bracts in 4 pairs, margin very narrow, membranous, apex obtuse or subacute ; anthers 7 or 8, sessile or shortly stipitate . Seed cones terminal or axillary , solitary, oblong-ovoid or subglobose, ca. 8 × 6-7 mm at maturity; bracts in 4 pairs, connate for 1/2-3/4 their length, red and fleshy at maturity; integument tube 1-2 mm, straight or slightly curved. Seeds usually 2, black-red or grayish brown, concealed by or equaling bracts. Pollination May-Jun, seed maturity Aug-Sep. 2n = 28*. [source]

It seems likely that Ephedra sinica var. pumila Florin, Kongl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl., ser. 3, 12: 11. 1933, will also be found in China. It differs from var. sinica in its very low growth habit, often curved or involute branches, shorter nodes, and seed cones with only 2 or 3 pairs of bracts. The most appropriate taxonomic rank for this taxon is uncertain. [source]

Habitat

Waste and sandy places, plains , mountain slopes ; 700-1600 m (Ref. 100181).

Biology

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Growth

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Taxonomy

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Unambiguous Synonyms

  1. Ephedra ma-huang Liu.

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : Bull . Misc. Inform. Kew 1927:133. 1927

Name verified on 15-May-1995 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 05-Aug-2002

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Ephedra

There are approximately 181 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

E. 879 · E. aff. glauca · E. affinis intermedia · E. alata · E. album · E. alenda · E. alte · E. altissima · E. americana · E. americana Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. var. andina (Poepp. ex Willd.) Stapf · E. americana var. andina (Joint Fir) · E. americana var. rupestris · E. andina · E. antisyphilitica (Clapweed) · E. aphylla (Ephedra) · E. araucana · E. arborea · E. arenicola (Sand Mormon Tea) · E. aspera (Aspera Mormon Tea) · E. atlantica · E. aurantiaca · E. biumbellata · E. boelckei · E. botryoides · E. botschantzevii · E. bracteata · E. breana · E. brevifoliata · E. california · E. californica (California Joint-Fir) · E. californica var. californica · E. campulopoda · E. campylopoda · E. chilensis · E. chilensis 'Mellow Yellow' · E. chilensis 'Quite White' · E. ciliata · E. clusii · E. compacta · E. coryi (Cory Ephedra) · E. cutleri (Cutler Mormon Tea) · E. dahurica · E. dawuensis · E. distachia · E. distachya (Jointfir) · E. distachya distachya · E. distachya helvetica · E. distachya L. var. monostachya (L.) Stapf · E. distachya var. distachya · E. dubia · E. dumosa · E. dystachia · E. eleutherolepis · E. equisetiformis · E. equisetina (Ma Huang) · E. equisetina 'Bluestem' · E. equisetina var. monoica · E. fasciculata (Arizona Ephedra) · E. fasciculata var. clokeyi · E. fasciculata var. fasciculata · E. fedtschenkoae · E. fedtschenkoi · E. ferganensis · E. flava · E. foemina · E. foeminea · E. foliata · E. fragilis · E. fragilis campylopoda · E. fragilis fragilis · E. frustillata · E. funera · E. funerea (Death Valley Ephedra) · E. geradiana · E. gerardiana (Gerard Jointfir) · E. gerardiana var. sikkimensis (Asamania) · E. gibraltarica · E. glauca · E. gracilis · E. graeca · E. grafilis · E. helvatica · E. helvetica · E. holoptera · E. humilis · E. intermedia · E. intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey. var. glauca (Regel) Stapf · E. intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey. var. intermedia · E. intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey. var. persica Stapf · E. intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey. var. tibetica Stapf · E. intermixta (Intermixed Jointfir) · E. kaschgarica · E. kokanica · E. laristanica · E. lepidosperma · E. likiangensis (Ephedra) · E. likiangensis f. mairei · E. lomatolepis · E. ma-huang · E. macedonica

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 23, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

Last Revised: 2008-09-29