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Joint-pine family
Ephedraceae
マオウ科
A gymnosperm family belonging to the Gnetales, distributed in arid regions. Stems are green and photosynthetic; leaves are reduced to scales. Includes Ephedra sinica, known as a source of the traditional Chinese medicine ma-huang and the alkaloid ephedrine.
Key Characteristics
- ●Stems green, jointed, and photosynthetic
- ●Leaves reduced to scales, opposite or whorled
- ●Dioecious or monoecious
- ●Highly tolerant of arid and degraded habitats
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Parallel
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf shape
Linear / Needle
Growth form
Shrub
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Stipules
Absent
Petal fusion
No petals
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Dioecious
Phylogenetic Position
Gymnosperms > Gnetophytes > Gnetales > Ephedraceae
Divergence Era
Mesozoic Cretaceous (approx. 120 million years ago onward)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Advanced adaptation to arid environments (stem photosynthesis, leaf reduction)
- ・Acquisition of the biosynthetic pathway for the alkaloid ephedrine
Plants in Joint-pine family on this site
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