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

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

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

There were chenopodiaceous and other shrubs along the beach; and, at the foot of the rocks, an abundance of ephedra occidentalis, whose dark-green color makes them evergreens among the shrubby growth of the lake.

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