Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Chinese Zeedruif, Chinese ephedra, cao ma huang, 草麻黄

Family: Ephedraceae

Distribution: China, Mongolia and Siberia

IUCN Red list: Least concern

Life form: Gymnosperm

Comments: Subshrubs small, to 40 cm, sparsely branched, woody stems short or prostrate; stems much branched, terete and obviously knobbly, photosynthetic. Leaves scalelike, membranous, mostly not photosynthetic. Seed cones insert at the nodes, composed of overlapping bracts; bracts red and fleshy at maturity. Seeds black-red or grayish brown. Pollination May-June, seed maturity August-September.