Ephedra breana

Phil.

Pingo-pingo, Tume

EphedraceaeFruitPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit is eaten.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. In Chile it can grow from 500 m altitude to 3,500 m above sea level. It grows in dry areas with a winter rainfall of 100-300 mm. It can grow in areas with very low rainfall. It grows in full sun. It suits a hardiness zone of 8. It can tolerate some snow.

Andes, Argentina, Chile, South America,

Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 2 m high. The stems are 1-2 mm across and internodes 2-5 cm long. The leaves are in rings of 2-3.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Ephedra breana (frutilla de campo, pingo-pingo) is a species of Ephedra growing from northwest Argentina through to Chile and Bolivia.

Notes

There are about 40 Ephedra species.

Names & Synonyms

Granada, Sanguinaria

References (5)

Aldunate, C. et al, 1983, Ethnobotany of pre-Altiplanic Community in the Andes of Northern Chile. Economic Botany 37( ) p 120-134
Rapoport, E., H., et al, 2003, Plantas Nativas Comestibles de la Patagonia Andina Argentino/Chilena Parte 1, Department de Ecologi Centro Regional Universitario Briloche p 28
Ugalde, P. C., et al, 2020, 13,000 years of sociocultural plant use in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. Springer
Villagran, C., et al, 1999, La Tradicion Altiplanica: Estudio Etnobotanico en Los Andes de Iquique, Primera Region, Chile. Chungara, volumen 31 No. 1 pp 81-186
www.chileflora.com