Ephedra funerea
Death valley ephedra
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Family: Ephedraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Ephedra funerea (Death valley ephedra) is a native California shrub in the Ephedraceae family, recognized by . Key features: sessile or nearly sessile seed cones, large cones, beaked seeds.
Death valley ephedra is a California native shrub found in the Mojave Desert on dry rocky slopes in creosote-bush scrub at elevations of 360 to 1,700 meters. Its distinctive stems grow to less than 1.5 meters tall, with gray-green twigs that age to a pale gray, featuring subtle brown pith. Growing with compact branching, this ephedra produces small grayish-green stems with minimal leaves, typically three narrow leaves less than 5 millimeters long at each node. Its leaves have persistent bases that remain attached without recurving or swelling, creating a subtle architectural form in harsh desert environments. The plant produces seed cones 9 to 13 millimeters long with distinctive obovate bracts that have wide, yellow-translucent margins, bearing one to three seeds with a slight beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species. Key features: sessile or nearly sessile seed cones, large cones, beaked seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry rocky slopes in creosote-bush scrub
Elevation: 360-1700 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego
Outside California: western Nevada, western Arizona
How to tell it apart
vs Thamnosma: Ephedra has obvious joints on green stems; Thamnosma stems are smooth without joints.; vs Senna: Ephedra has tiny scale leaves that fall off; Senna has compound leaves with paired leaflets.; vs Lepidospartum: Ephedra stems have distinct joints at regular intervals; Lepidospartum stems are smooth and rush-like.; vs Spartium: Ephedra has jointed stems with nodes; Spartium has smooth, ridged stems and pea flowers.; vs Ericameria: Ephedra has obvious stem joints and scale leaves; Ericameria has narrow but normal leaves and daisy flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ephedra funerea native to California?
Yes. Ephedra funerea is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Ephedra funerea grow?
Ephedra funerea occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, San Diego, at elevations of 360-1700 m.
What plant family does Ephedra funerea belong to?
Ephedra funerea is in the Ephedraceae family, genus Ephedra.
What habitat does Ephedra funerea grow in?
Ephedra funerea grows in dry rocky slopes in creosote-bush scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.