Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey.

Species

Gymnosperms > Gnetales > Ephedraceae > Ephedra

Characteristics

Subshrubs or shrubs to 1 m, densely branched, sometimes with 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. Leaves in whorls of 3 or opposite, connate for at least 2/3 their length. Pollen cones usually clustered at nodes, often sessile; bracts in 3 or 4 pairs or whorls; anthers 5-8, sessile or shortly stipitate. 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. Seeds 2 or 3, ovoid or elongate-ovoid, 5-6 × ca. 3 mm, concealed by bracts. Pollination May-Jun, seed maturity Jul-Aug. 2n = 14*, 28*.
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A shrubby plant. It grows 50 cm high. It has many branches. The stems are green and the branches are opposite or in a ring. The leaves are thin and 2-4 mm long. Male and female flowers are on separate plants. The ripe fruit or cones are oval red berries. They are 5-6 mm long. There are 2-3 seeds.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality dioecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It is a semi-desert plant. In the Himalayas it grows between 3,300-4,650 m above sea level. It grows in and near Tibet. It can grow in arid places.
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Gritty mountain slopes at low elevations. Grasslands, deserts, river valleys, floodlands, sandy beaches, cliffs, other dry, sandy or rocky places, 100-4600 metres.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-6
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-9

Usage

The ripe fruit are eaten. They are sweet.
Uses food medicinal
Edible fruits leaves
Therapeutic use Anti-bacterial agents (aerial part), Anti-inflammatory agents (aerial part), Hypersensitivity (aerial part), Nasal decongestants (aerial part), Central nervous system stimulants (aerial part), Respiratory tract diseases (fruit), Antirheumatic agents (root), Syphilis (root), Antirheumatic agents (stem), Syphilis (stem), Adulterant (unspecified), Anodyne (unspecified), Arthritis (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Swelling (unspecified), Typhoid (unspecified), Cold (unspecified), Dyspnea (unspecified), Asthma (unspecified), Cardiotonic agents (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Ephedra intermedia habit picture by Lennaert Steen (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Ephedra intermedia leaf picture by Lennaert Steen (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Ephedra intermedia flower picture by Lennaert Steen (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Ephedra intermedia world distribution map, present in Afghanistan, China, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan

Conservation status

Ephedra intermedia threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:383409-1
WFO ID wfo-0000794387
COL ID 6FNG6
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ephedra microsperma Ephedra ferganensis Ephedra persica Ephedra tesquorum Ephedra tibetica Ephedra valida Ephedra intermedia var. persica Ephedra intermedia var. schrenkii Ephedra intermedia var. tibetica Ephedra vulgaris var. submonostachys Ephedra intermedia