Ephedra trifurcata
Dioecious or monoecious shrubs up to 2 m tall, with thin, flexible, gnarled branches. Internodes up to 7 cm long. Leaves decussate, linear-lanceolate in shape, with acute apex, sometimes trifid, erect, sheathing, up to 1.2 cm long, united at the base. Cones, located at the nodes, are pedunculate in whorls of up to 6, the peduncles 2-3 cm long [sic; suspect this is mm]; in new branches cones are decussate. Cones are grouped in triads, the central cone somewhat larger than the lateral ones, 5-8 mm long, shortly pedicellate, pedicels 3-5 mm long, lateral cones sessile. Some branches exclusively with pollen cones, others with pollen cones at the apex and seed cones at the base; other branches with seed cones and pollen cones in the same inflorescence. Pollen cones have 2 basal bracts, acuminate, with acute apex, united at the base, 3 mm long. Seed cone bracts in 8-10 pairs, circular in shape with a hyaline border, 1.5 mm wide and 1.5-1.8 mm long. Sporangiophores slightly protruding, with 6-8 pollen sacs, these opening through apical pores. Seed cones gathered in triads, pedunculate, peduncles up to 3 cm long [sic; suspect this is mm]. Pedicellate central cones are 8-10 mm long, with sessile or sub-sessile lateral cones up to 6 mm long. At the base of each seed cone are 2 decussate bracts, with a sharp apex, gathered at the base, 3 mm long. Each seed cone has 4 pairs of decussate bracts, oval with a hyaline border, the outer ones smaller than the inner ones. Bracts connate for up to 1/2 of its height. The dark brown seeds are ovate, acuminate, with a convex dorsal face and a flat ventral face (Zöllner 1975).
Chile.
No data as of 2023.03.03.
See the observations on iNaturalist, accessed 2021.12.31.
Zöllner, O. 1975. Una Ephedra nueva para el flora Chilena. Anales del Museo de Historia Natural de Valparaiso 8:81. Available: issuu, accessed 2021.12.31.]
Species profile at Plants of the World Online, accessed 2021.12.31.
Last Modified 2023-03-03
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