n.
Pronunciation: i- ' fe-dr ə , ' e-f ə -dr ə
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, genus name, from Latin, equisetum, from Greek, from ephedros sitting upon, from epi- + hedra seat ― more at SIT
Date: circa 1889
1 : any of a genus ( Ephedra of the family Ephedraceae) of jointed nearly leafless shrubs of dry or desert regions with the leaves reduced to scales at the nodes
2 : an extract of ma huang containing ephedrine and related alkaloids and used as a dietary supplement