Arizona Ephedra, Arizona Joint Fir, Desert Mormon Tea, Mojave Ephedra                         e-fee-DRA fa-sik-yoo-LAY-ta

• Shrubs with small deciduous leaves and green stems, erect or prostrate, to about 3 ft (~0.9 m) high.   Stems pale green, yellowing with age, with many longitudinal grooves, internode length 1-5 cm.   Leaves opposite, only 1-3 mm long, bases membranous, brown, becoming gray with age.  Male (pollen) cones, light yellow, 2 or more at node, more or less ovoid, 4-8 mm long; female (seed) cones 2-several at node, obovoid to ellipsoid, 6-13 mm long, light brown to green.
• Full sun to partial shade, heat and drought tolerant.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 7(?)         Native range from California, to Arizona, Nevada and Utah mostly on dry rocky slopes, washes, and sandy areas.
• fasciculata: in bundles, possibly a reference to the manner in which the small leaves are attached to the leaf stem in little bunches (of two's) or 'fascicles'