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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of ephedra

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

Compare meaning

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

• ephedra vs. ephedrine

Example Sentences

North of the pavement, the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness holds a quieter terrain, where sunflower, ephedra and honey mesquite anchor the sand in subtle defiance of the wind.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

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

It is much more likely that isolated cases will go unnoticed, as happened with ephedra, and it could take years to identify a common cause.

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2012

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