ephedra

American  

[ih-fed-ruh, ef-i-druh] / ɪˈfɛd rə, ˈɛf ɪ drə /

noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Ephedra, growing in dry regions and having branching stems with dry scalelike leaves.

---

ephedra British  

/ ɪˈfɛdrə /

noun

1. any gymnosperm shrub of the genus Ephedra, of warm regions of America and Eurasia: the source of ephedrine: family Ephedraceae , phylum Gnetophyta

---

Etymology

Origin of ephedra

< New Latin (Linnaeus) < Greek ephédra the horsetail plant, literally, sitting (upon a place), equivalent to ep- ep- + hédra seat, sitting ( cathedra )

Compare meaning

How does ephedra compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ephedra vs. ephedrine

Example Sentences

Previously, the Taliban were understood to charge tax on ephedra.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2021

Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, points to ephedra as the poster supplement for the harm the category can do.

From Washington Post • Jan. 24, 2020

Putnam asks, as she follows her goats through the rabbit brush and scrubby ephedra, also called Mormon tea.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2018

In the meantime, we should be on the lookout for the next Aristolochia, the next ephedra, or the next bitter orange.

From Slate • Sep. 7, 2016

Among the shrubs on the hills were a few bushes of ephedra occidentalis, which afterwards occurred frequently along the road, and, as usual, the lowlands were occupied with artemisia.

From The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California To which is Added a Description of the Physical Geography of California, with Recent Notices of the Gold Region from the Latest and Most Authentic Sources by Frémont, John Charles