Ephedra nevadensis LC Taxonomic Authority: S.Watson  Global Assessment  Regional Assessment Region: Global  Endemic to region Synonyms Common Names Ephedra antisyphilitic S. Watson GRAY EPHEDRA English Ephedra antisyphilitic S. Watson MORNING TEA English Ephedra nevadensis Stapf NEVADA EPHEDRA English NEVADA JOINTFIR English NEVADA MORNING TEA English

Upper Level Taxonomy Kingdom: PLANTAE Phylum: TRACHEOPHYTA Class: GNETOPSIDA Order: EPHEDRALES Family: EPHEDRACEAE Lower Level Taxonomy Rank: Infra- rank name:  Plant Hybrid Subpopulation: Authority:

General Information Distribution Occurs from south-eastern Oregon, USA to north-western Mexico including Baja California.

Range Size Elevation Biogeographic Realm Area of Occupancy: Upper limit: 2200  Afrotropical Extent of Occurrence: Lower limit: 700  Antarctic Map Status: Depth  Australasian Upper limit:  Neotropical Lower limit:  Oceanian Depth Zones  Palearctic  Shallow photic  Bathyl  Hadal  Indomalayan  Photic  Abyssal  Nearctic Population Exact popualtion size is not known, but has been reported as fairly common (White 9392; Sander 16457).

Total Population Size Minimum Population Size: Maximum Population Size: Habitat and Ecology Shrub, occurring on dry rocky slopes and sandy washes. Associated with the following vegetation: sage scrub, piñon juniper, shrubland, creosote bush; and species: Juniperus, Larrea, Ambrosia, Yucca and Chrysothamnus. Flowers April to May, coning late winter to midspring.

System Movement pattern Crop Wild Relative  Terrestrial  Freshwater  Nomadic  Congregatory/Dispersive  Is the species a wild relative of a crop?  Marine  Migratory  Altitudinally migrant

Growth From Definition Shrub - large Perennial shrub (>1m), also termed a Phanerophyte (>1m)

Threats Plant is utilised for food and for various medicinal purposes, but this is believed to be stable at present.

Past Present Future 13 None  Conservation Measures Rated in NatureServe (2009) as G5 - Secure, indicating a common, widespread and abundant species. Samples are not known to have been collected for ex-situ conservation, but many collections are known from botanic gardens. Across the wide range occurrences intersect numerous protected areas.

In Place Needed 3 Research actions  3.2 Population numbers and range  3.5 Threats  3.6 Uses and harvest levels  3.9 Trends/Monitoring  4 Habitat and site-based actions  4.4 Protected areas  5 Species-based actions  5.7 Ex situ conservation actions  5.7.2 Genome resource bank 

Countries of Occurrence

PRESENCE ORIGIN Year Breeding Non- Passage Possibly ExtinctPresence Native Introduced Re- Vagrant Origin Round Season breeding migrant extinct uncertain Introduced uncertain only season only Mexico    Chihuahua    United States    Arizona    California    Nevada    Texas   

General Habitats Score Description Major Importance 6 Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)1 Suitable Not applicable 8 Desert 1UnsetSuitable 8.1 Desert - Hot1Unset Suitable Ecosystem Services  Insufficient Information available  Species provides no ecosystem services

Species Utilisation  Species is not utilised at all

Purpose / Type of Use Subsistence National International 1. Food - human  3. Medicine - human and veterinary  The following uses have been listed as part of the 'Plants for Future' project (2010).

The stems of most members of this genus contain the alkaloid ephedrine and are valuable in the treatment of asthma and many other complaints of the respiratory system.

The stems are used as blood purifier, diuretic, febrifuge and tonic. They are beneficial in the treatment of urogenital complaints.

An infusion has been used in the treatment of kidney problems, gonorrhoea and the first stages of syphilis. A poultice of the powdered stems has been applied to sores.

The stems can be used fresh or dried and are usually made into a tea, though they can also be eaten raw. The young stems are best if eating them raw, though older stems can be used if a tea is made. The stems can be harvested at any time of the year and are dried for later use.

Trend in the level of wild offtake/harvest in relation to total wild population numbers over the last five years: Unknown Trend in the amount of offtake/harvest produced through domestication/cultivation over the last five years: Unknown CITES status: Not listed

Livelihood Value

Primary Product

Scale of Assessment: Local Name of Location/Country/Region: Southwestern USA Date: Description of product (eg. skin, meat, horn, fibre, etc.): Food (human and animal) For Single Species Harvest When Part of a Multi-species Harvest for this Product: Estimated annual harvest of the product: Not Known Estimated annual multi-species harvest: Units: Units: The species contribution to the total harvest (%): Users Amount of this species within multi-species harvest: Primary level of human reliance on the product: Not known Who are the primary harvesters of this resource? By gender/age? Not known By socio-economic group? Not known Specify other: Value to Livelihoods Proportion (%) of total population benefiting from this product: Not known Proportion (%) of household consumption (if dietary as a % of protein/carbohydrate) for this product: Not known Proportion (as a %) of household income for this product: Not known Value to Economy Annual cash income from this product - gross (in US$): Not known IUCN Red Listing Red List Assessment:(using 2001 IUCN system) Least Concern (LC)

Red List Criteria: Date Last Seen (only for EX, EW or Possibly EX species): Is the species Possibly Extinct?  Possibly Extinct Candidate?  Rationale for the Red List Assessment E. nevadensis has a large range across western USA, down to northern Mexico and appears common and abundant where found. It has several medicinal uses, but extraction is not thought to be causing declines of wild populations at present. Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment:  Genuine Change  Nongenuine Change  No Change  Genuine (recent)  New information  Taxonomy  Same category  Genuine (since first assessment)  Knowledge of Criteria  Criteria Revisio and criteria  Incorrect data used  Other  Same category but previously change in criteria Current Population Trend: Stable Date of Assessment: 18/09/2010 Name(s) of the Assessor(s): A.Bell & S.Bachman Evaluator(s): Notes:

% population decline in the past: Time period over which the past decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): % population decline in the future: Time period over which the future decline has been measured for applying Criterion A or C1 (in years or generations): Number of Locations: Severely Fragmented: Number of Mature Individuals:

Bibliography NatureServe, 2009, An Online Encyclopedia of Life, , Published online at http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/, Plants for a Future, 1996-2010, Plants For A Future, Earth, Plants, People., , , RBG Kew, 2009, World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, , Published on the Internet; http://www.kew.org/wcsp/, W.J.G.Land, 1913, Vegetative Reproduction in an Ephedra, Botanical Gazette6, 439-445, ,