Ephedra foliata

Boiss. & Ktoschy, ex Boiss.

Shrubby horsetail

Ephedraceae Edible: Fruit 51 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by

Summary

Ephedra foliata is a species of gymnosperm in the Ephedraceae family. It is referred to by the common name shrubby horsetail. It is native to North Africa, and Southwest Asia, from Morocco and Mauritania east to Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Punjab State in India. Taxonomy Ephedra foliata was originally described by Pierre Edmond Boissier, later validly published by Carl Anton von Meyer in 1846, and placed in section Pseudobaccatae (=sect. Ephedra), "tribe" Scandentes by Otto Stapf in 1889. In 1996 Robert A. Price classified E. foliata in section Ephedra without recognizing a tribe.

Description

A sprawling shrub. It branches many times. It grows up to 1 m tall. The leaves are vary few and are narrow and opposite. The flowers are in spikes at the ends of branches. The flowers are white and cone shaped. The fruit are fleshy and are green but turn brown. They have a split at the tip making them heart shaped.

Edible Uses

The fleshy fruit are eaten.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. It grows on rocky slopes and sand dunes. It grows at higher altitudes in Bahrain.

Where It Grows

Asia, Bahrain, Djibouti, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Himalayas, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen,

Notes

There are about 40 Ephedra species.

Synonyms

Ephedra ciliata Fisch. & C. A. Mey.Ephedra alte C. A. Mey

Also Known As

Alada, Andhokimp, Suaphogro

References (6)

Al-Sodany, Y. M., et al, 2013, Medicinal Plants in Saudi Arabia: I. Sarrwat Mountains at Taif, KSA. Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 6 (4): 134-145
Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 197 (var. ciliata)
P. E. Boissier, Diagn. pl. orient. ser. 1, 7:101. 1846
Phillips, D.C., 1988, Wild Flowers of Bahrain. A Field Guide to Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees. Privately published. p 87
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/

Show all 6 references