In mid-August, the light green fruit pods begin to turn reddish and, if abundant, make a colorful display.
Seeds of the Catclaw were at one time widely used as food by the Indians of Arizona and Mexican tribes. They were ground into meal and eaten as mush or cakes.
Catclaw is one of the most heartily disliked plants in the Southwest, especially by riders and hikers, because of the strong thorns which tear clothing and lacerate the flesh.
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Ephedra trifurca
E. antisyphilitica
Common Names: MORMON-TEA, BRIGHAM-TEA, JOINTER, (POPOTILLA), (TEPOSOTE), (CANATILLA) Arizona and Texas deserts: (Ephedra trifurca). Pale yellow. Spring. California desert: (Ephedra californica). Pale yellow. Spring. Jointfir family. Size: Harsh, stringy perennials, from 2 to 10 feet tall and sometimes 5 or 6 feet in diameter.
Apparently leafless, these common Southwestern shrubs do have leaves, although they are reduced to tiny scales. The harsh, stringy stems are green to yellow-green and, when dried, were used with the flowers in making a palatable brew, particularly by the Utah pioneers; hence the names Mormon-tea and Brigham-tea. The beverage was also popular with Indians and settlers in treating syphilis and other afflictions, as it contains tannin and certain alkaloids. Flowers are small, pale yellow, and appear in the spring at which time the plants are quite noticeable, and attract large numbers of insects.
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