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Native Plant Database

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Ephedra antisyphilitica (Mormon tea)
Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Ephedra antisyphilitica Berl. ex C.A. Mey.

Mormon tea, Joint-fir, Clapweed, Popote

Ephedraceae (Mormon-Tea Family)

USDA Symbol: EPAN

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

An upright or spreading shrub found on limestone hillsides, on bluffs, and in gravelly or stony upland soils. Jointed branches green to yellowish or grayish green, with a light orange to yellow or tan band encircling the stem below the leaves. Leaves minute, scalelike at the joints. Reproductive structures in small cones, 1/4 to l/2 inch long, emerging from the joints. Not to be confused with either Horsetail or Scouring-rush, genus Equisetum, which are herbaceous.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Not Applicable
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr
Bloom Notes: Reproductive structures in small cones.

Distribution

USA: OK , TX
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannahs, Canyons, Ditches, Ravines, Depressions
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Rocky Gravelly, Caliche type, Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam Clay
Conditions Comments: This plant is a gnetophyte and has neither flowers nor leaves, and is easily overcome by other, more hardy species. The green stem of the plant grows and branches from nodes. Instead of flowers the plant developes cones which produce spores. Do not overwater. Protect from rabbit and deer.

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From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0994 Collected Oct 12, 1994 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe

Bibliography

Bibref 355 - Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest (1991) Miller, G. O.
Bibref 354 - Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

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Additional resources

USDA: Find Ephedra antisyphilitica in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ephedra antisyphilitica in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ephedra antisyphilitica

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-04-08
Research By: NPC

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