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 ( 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

The banks are lightly wooded with willow, and on the upper bottoms are sage and Fremontia, with ephedra occidentalis, which begins to occur more frequently.

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