Sea-grape

Sea-grape (Ephedra), a genus of shrubby plants of the natural order Gnetaceæ, closely allied to the Conifers, and sometimes called Joint-firs. The most notable is E. distachya, a small shrub very abundant in southern Russia, which produces sweetish mucilaginous berries, in some pharmacopœias called Uvæ maritimeæ, which are eaten by the Russian peasants. In medicine they are regarded as astringent, and are used in putrid fevers and agues. The young tops of the shoots are also astringent.—The name of sea-grapes is also given to the grape-like clusters of eggs laid by Sepia and some other cuttle-fish.