Species Details

Ephedra torreyana

Torrey's Mormon-tea

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Scientific Name:
Ephedra torreyana S. Watson
Common Name:
Torrey's Mormon-tea
Family: Ephedraceae
Element Code: PGEPH01080
USDA Plants Symbol: EPTO
Synonyms/Other Names:
Lifeform: perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: May
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Elevation:
765 - 810 meters
2510 - 2660 feet
General Habitats:
  • Great Basin scrub
Microhabitat Details: Valley bottoms, silt
Microhabitat:
Notes:
Discovered in CA in 2011; known in CA only from Pahrump Valley. Threatened by solar energy development. Potentially threatened by noxious weeds and vehicles. Similar to E. trifurca (and also to E. funerea when cones are not present). Not in The Jepson Manual (1993) and TJM 2. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 14:299-300 (1879) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Threat List Total: 3
Total EOs % of EOs
EOs with Threat Listed: 11 92 %
THREAT LIST:
Non-native plant impacts 11 91%
ORV activity 11 91%
Development 3 25%
Total Occurrences: 12
Element Occurrence Ranks:
A B C D X U
0 6 4 1 0 1
Occurrence Status:
Historical >20 Years 0
Recent <=20 Years 12
Presence:
Presumed Extant 12
Possibly Extirpated 0
Presumed Extirpated 0
California Endemic:
California Island:
States: Name (Code)
Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Nevada (NV), New Mexico (NM), Texas (TX), Utah (UT)
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Calvada Springs (3511588), Mound Spring (3611518), Nopah Peak (3611611)
Notes:
Definitions of codes following a county and/or quad:
* Presumed extirpated
(?) Occurrence confirmed, but possibly extirpated
Quad and county data is imported from the CNDDB. Species may be present in other areas where conditions are favorable. These data should NOT be substituted for pre-project review or for on-site surveys.
Presumed Extant
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