No images found for this plant ID: 16404.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "16404" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

Safe for Dogs?

Safe for Cats?

Safe for Reptiles?

Cutler's jointfir

Scientific Name: Ephedra cutleri

Family: Ephedraceae

Category: Gymnosperm

Growth: Shrub

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Ephedra cutleri: Cutler's Jointfir

Ephedra cutleri, commonly known as Cutler's jointfir, is a shrub native to the Southwestern United States.

Common Names

  • Cutler's Jointfir
  • Navajo Ephedra
  • Cutler's Ephedra
  • Cutler Mormon-tea
  • Joint-pine
  • Jointfir
  • Mormon-tea
  • Brigham Tea

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Ephedra cutleri Peebles
  • Family: Ephedraceae
  • Group: Gymnosperm
  • Synonyms:
    • Ephedra coryi E.L. Reed var. viscida Cutler
    • Ephedra viridis Coville var. viscida (Cutler) L.D. Benson
    • Ephedra clokeyi Cutler
    • Ephedra fasciculata A.Nelson subspecies clokeyi (Cutler) Clokey
  • Ephedra viridis var. viscida (Cutler) L.D. Benson

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to the Southwestern United States, specifically Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.
  • Found in semidesert shallow sand and rangeland environments.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Growth Habit: Shrub
  • Duration: Perennial (lives for more than two years)
  • Growth Form: Rhizomatous, forming clumps, erect
  • Size: 0.25--1.5 m tall, 3--5 m in diameter
  • Bark: Reddish brown, cracked and irregularly fissured
  • Branches: Alternate or whorled, rigid

Ecological Role

  • It is part of the *Achnatherum hymenoides* - *Ephedra cutleri* (Indian ricegrass - Cutler's jointfir) plant community type.

Further Information

  • Discover Life provides information about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Ephedra cutleri.