Ephedra fragilis

Ephedra fragilis, commonly named the joint pine, is a species of Ephedra that is native to eastern Mediterranean region of southern Europe and Northern Africa, and from Madeira and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. Its habitats are rocky hills and stone walls, where it grows to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. The plant was originally described by René Louiche Desfontaines in 1799 and placed in section Pseudobaccatae (=sect. Ephedra sect. Ephedra), 'tribe' Scandentes by Otto Stapf in 1889. In 1996 Robert A. Price classified E. fragilis in section Ephedra without recognizing a tribe. Ephedra fragilis is a Least Concern species on the IUCN Red List.