Joint pine
Ephedra fragilis
Family: Ephedraceae
What it is like
A scrambling, creeping or climbing shrub. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 5 m high. It is soft wooded. The stems are flexible. The leaves are scale like. They are dark green and opposite. The plants are separately male and female. In male plants the flowering cluster is almost stalkless. There are 4-8 flowers together. In female plants there are 1-2 flowers. The fruit are 8-9 cm long. The seeds are almost hidden by red bracts.
There are about 40 Ephedra species.
Where it is found
It grows in Mediterranean countries. It is naturalised near Melbourne, Australia.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Australia, Europe, Mediterranean, North Africa, Portugal, Spain
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit