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Ephedra distachya- Joint
Fir (Ephedraceae)
A genus of perhaps 40 xerophytes of arid, warm temperate and
subtropical lands. The western United States species provide
pseudoephedrine, the stimulating alkaloid of Mormon Tea. Asian
species are the source of the drug ephedrine, a decongestant
used in treatment of asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Ephedra is related toWelwitschia
and Gnetum
(tropical shrubs and lianas). Unlike most Gymnosperms,
all the Gnetales are at least to some degree insect pollinated.
They also share a peculiarity in the possession of Angiosperm-like
vessels (water transporting cells) in their xylem, rather than
the tracheids that occur in all other gymnosperms.
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