Common Name:

General Information

Ephedra aphylla is a much-branched, erect to decumbent, evergreen shrub, sometimes adopting a more climbing habit and scrambling into the surrounding vegetation. It has very small, scale-like leaves and green, wiry stems where most of the photosynthesis takes place; it usually grows up to 140cm tall, sometimes more when it climbs[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.
Ephedra aphylla does not meet any of the thresholds for a threatened status. It is reported to be locally common, it occurs in some protected areas, is under no specific threat and is known from some relatively recent collections. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2011)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern and eastern Mediterranean - Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria

Habitat

Often found in rocky gorges and in fissured rocks, though also occurring in diverse habitats such as on cliffs, along wadis, and with deeply-rooted plants along irrigation ditches; at elevations from 700 - 2,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Ephedra species are mainly temperate to subtropical plants, native to arid and semi-arid regions and are also found in seasonally dry habitats such as Mediterranean climates. They are often found at moderate to high elevations, especially when they occur in tropical regions.
Requires a sunny position in a freely-draining soil. It grows well in dry soils and is very drought tolerant once established[].
This species is considered to be a native weed in Egypt[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Plants require a good summer in order to fully ripen their wood - this will encourage good flowering and fruiting the following summer.
This species, and Ephedra foeminea Forssk., are the only two insect-pollinated species of Ephedra, the pollinators being attracted by nectar droplets exuded by both male and female flowers. All other Ephedra species are wind-pollinated, likely an adaptation to their windy, semiarid habitats[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The stems are hypertensive, antiasthmatic and bronchodilator[].

In a study of the antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, and antiproliferative activity of Ephedra aphylla against breast cancer cell lines, the plant showed strong antiproliferative potential against the breast cancer cell lines MFC7and T47D. The potential antiproliferative activities may be due to the presence of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, phenols, and flavonoids[].

Ephedra species, especially those found in Asia, have a long history of medicinal use, particularly in the treatment of respiratory conditions such as asthma, hay fever, catarrh and coughs. They are also considered to be antisyphilitic, antipyretic and circulatory stimulants. The main active substances are alkaloids, particularly ephedrine and the closely related pseudoephedrine, though many other alkaloids can be present[, ].
Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are found mainly in the Asian species; those species in the Americas generally have much lower or zero levels, though they do contaim various other alkaloids. These American species often have a high reputation as a refreshing tonic tea that promotes kidney and urinary tract health[, ].

Other Uses

Ephedra aphylla has shown high toxicity against the larvae of the mosquito Aedes aegypta whilst having low toxicity against humans. Further research into the isolation and characterization of larvicidal compounds found in the plant may show that this is an important plant in controlling disease-causing mosquitoes[]

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[]. It can also be sown in spring in a greenhouse in a sandy compost[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in the spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some protection in their first winter[].
Division in spring or autumn[].
Layering.