Ephedra intermedia (中麻黄) description

Ephedra intermedia

Schrenk & C.A. Meyer ex C.A. Meyer 1846

Common names

中麻黄 zhong ma huang [Chinese] (Fu et al. 1999).

Taxonomic notes

Syn. (Fu et al. 1999):

Ephedra ferganensis V.A. Nikitin
E. glauca Regel
E. heterosperma V.A. Nikitin
E. intermedia var. glauca (Regel) Stapf
E. intermedia var. persica Stapf
E. intermedia var. schrenkii Stapf
E. intermedia var. tibetica Stapf
E. microsperma V.A. Nikitin
E. persica (Stapf) V.A. Nikitin
E. tesquorum V.A. Nikitin
E. tibetica (Stapf) V.A. Nikitin
E. valida V.A. Nikitin

The hybrid with E. strobilacea is Ephedra × eleutherolepis V.A. Nikitin 1966, and has only been reported from Tadzhikistan.

Regarding the putative varieties glauca and tibetica , Ali and Qaiser (1987) find "no substantial difference" between the two, and Fu et al. (1999) state that the character states distinguishing the two may be observed together in a single population.

Description

Shrubs up to 1 m tall, densely branched, erect to spreading or sometimes with a creeping stem producing single, erect, green primary branches. Branchlets yellowish or bluish green, often pruinose, internodes usually 2-6 cm × 1.5-3.5 mm, straight or slightly bent. Leaves in whorls of 3 or opposite, connate for at least 2/3 their length. Pollen cones up to 8, whorled, usually clustered at nodes, often sessile; bracts in 3 or 4 pairs or whorls; anthers 5-8, sessile or shortly stipitate; staminate column slightly exserted. Seed cones ellipsoid, ovoid, or oblong-ovoid; bracts in 2-5 pairs or whorls, outer ones connate at base, apical pair or whorl connate for ca. 1/2 their length, margins membranous, globose, red, and fleshy at maturity; integument tube long, 3-5 mm, usually spirally twisted. Berry ovoid, red. Seeds 2 or 3, ovoid or elongate-ovoid, 5-6 × ca. 3 mm, brownish, concealed by bracts. Pollination May-Jun, seed maturity Jul-Aug. 2n = 14, 28 (Ali and Qaiser 1987, Fu et al. 1999). See also the description in Bobrov (1968).

Distribution and Ecology

Afghanistan; Kazakstan; Kyrgyzstan; Mongolia; Pakistan; Russia; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan; SW Asia; China: Gansu, Hebei, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Xinjiang, and Xizang. Found at (100-)800-4600 m elevation in grasslands, deserts, river valleys, floodplains, sandy beaches, cliffs, and other dry, sandy or rocky places (Fu et al. 1999).

Remarkable Specimens

No data as of 2023.03.03.

Ethnobotany

"This species has medicinal properties" (Fu et al. 1999).

Observations

See the observations on iNaturalist, accessed 2021.12.30.

Remarks

The epithet refers to the plant's appearance as intermediate between "E. helveticam et E. monospermum" (now known as E. distachya subsp. helvetica and E. monosperma) (Meyer 1846).

Citations

Ali, S.I. and M. Qaiser (eds.). 1987. Flora of Pakistan. http://www.efloras.org.

Bobrov, E. G. 1968. Ephedraceae, pp. 154-160 in V.L. Komarov (ed.), Flora of the USSR, Vol. 1, trans. by the Israel Program for Scientific Translations. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and National Science Foundation. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2021.12.29.

Nikitin, V.A. 1966. Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 1966:5.

Meyer, C. A. 1846. Versuch einer Monographie der Gattung Ephedra, Durch Abbildungen Erlautert. Mémoires de l'Académie impériale des sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math., Seconde Pt. Sci. Nat. 5:88. Available: Biodiversity Heritage Library, accessed 2021.12.31.