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Which Ephedra plants are used to make Mormon tea?
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Gnetophyte
Welwitschia, or tumboa (Welwitschia mirabilis), in Namibia.
Mormon tea is not derived from a single species but refers to a preparation made from various Ephedra shrubs native to the arid southwestern United States.12
Common North American species used to make this tea include:
- Green Mormon tea (E. viridis)2
- California joint fir (E. californica)2
- Nevada joint fir (E. nevadensis)2
- Rough joint fir (E. aspera)2
- Torrey’s Mormon tea (E. torreyana)2
These plants, which belong to the division Gnetophyta, are characterized by their jointed stems, where the bulk of photosynthesis occurs. Historically, these species were utilized by indigenous peoples and pioneers as sources of food and medicine, and their stem fragments continue to be used in preparations known as Mormon, Mexican, or desert tea.2