''Ephedra alata'' is a species of ''Ephedra''. These plants are

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

and

xerophytic A xerophyte (from Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or places in the Alps or th ...

gymnosperm The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, ''Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, γυμνό� ...

shrubs.

Description

''Ephedra alata'' is a small terrestrial shrub or

Chamaephyte A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their De ...

. It is found primarily in dry desert environments. It is a

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

shrub, usually less than 1 meter in height. This shrub has rigid and branched stems. This desert plant species does not possess spines and is non-succulent. The leaves are very short (about 3-6mm) and are united toward the base of the plant, forming leaf sheaths. The leaf arrangements are organized in an opposite pattern, with two leaves per node. The leaves are termed scale leaves because they are thick. This plant is known as

conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...

because the reproductive portions of this species are organized in yellow-green cones. The male,

staminate The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

cones are oval, 3-8mm long, organized in dense clusters, with 3-6 stipitate

microsporangia Microsporangia are sporangia that produce microspores that give rise to male gametophytes when they germinate. Microsporangia occur in all vascular plants that have heterosporic life cycles, such as seed plants, spike mosses and the aquatic fer ...

. The female, or ovulate cones are found at the nodes of the stems. The ovulate cones are oval, up to 10mm long, with 4-5 pairs of overlapping yellow bracts surrounding two ovules. The seeds present in the ovulate cones are oval and acuminate in shape. This plant species flowing/fruiting season is between March and May. The roots of this plant are very fibrous and help the plant firmly anchor in sandy soil.

Taxonomy

It was originally described by

Joseph Decaisne Joseph Decaisne (7 March 1807 – 8 January 1882) was a French botanist and agronomist. He became an ''aide-naturaliste'' to Adrien-Henri de Jussieu (1797-1853), who served as the chair of rural botany. It was during this time that he began to stu ...

in 1834 and placed in

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sign ...

'' Alatae'',

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

''Tropidolepides'' by Otto Stapf in 1889. In 1996

Robert A. Price The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

left ''E. alata'' in section ''Alatae'' without recognizing a tribe.Price, R. A. (1996). Systematics of the Gnetales: A review of morphological and molecular evidence. ''International Journal of Plant Sciences'', 157(6): S40-S49.

Subspecies

#''Ephedra alata'' subsp. ''alata'' - Algeria, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Algeria, Sinai, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia #''Ephedra alata'' subsp. ''alenda'' (Stapf) Trab. - Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt #''Ephedra alata'' subsp. ''monjauzeana'' Dubuis & Faurel - Algeria

Distribution and habitat

This xerophytic shrub is found in desert and arid environments. It is native to many areas throughout northern Africa, mainly

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

and the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

, and spanning throughout the Middle East. This shrub grows in dense clumps, on sandy calcareous, rocky and clay soils. This species is often found near

Wadi Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water onl ...

s or other arid sand dunes, with minimal water. This species grows between the elevations of 50 meters to 1200 meters. The plants diaspores are dispersed by strong winds. These plants fibrous roots help to anchor the plant in shifting sand dunes, control sand erosion and are tolerant to saline soils. The stem of this plant contain alkaloid

ephedrine Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is often used to prevent low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred treatment. It is of unclear benefit in ...

, and other antimicrobial chemicals, which help protect this plant from disease. This species is not considered for conservation concerns as it is wide-ranging across the globe and commonly found in its natural environments. Seeds from this species have been obtained and stored for the

Millennium Seed Bank Project The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP or MSB), formerly known as the Millennium Seed Bank Project, is the largest ''ex situ'' plant conservation programme in the world coordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. After being awarded a Mi ...

because it is unclear if this species population is sustainable with its wide range of uses.

Uses

''Ephedra alata'' is used for medicinal purposes. The stem of this plant contain alkaloid

which is a medicine used for the treatment of asthma and other respiratory ailments. Other chemicals are also present in the plant that are used for medicines. These medicines are used to treat circulatory disorders, kidney disorders, digestive system disorders and eye disorders. The stems and roots of this species is also used for it fibrous characteristic to make string, cords and twine. These portions may also be used for tannins, used in the process of dying or tanning materials. These plants are used for dye by grinding the plant portion, and placing the ground plant portions, with the desired dyed material in boiling water for 1–3 days. These plants are also used for consumption by animals such as camelidae, bovines and caprines.Bell, A. & Bachman, S. 2011. Ephedra alata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T201688A9165505.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2920618 alata Flora of North Africa Flora of Western Asia Flora of the Arabian Peninsula Plants described in 1824 Taxa named by Joseph Decaisne