Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C. A. Mey.
Creators: name: Rather, Zubair Ahmad
name: Khuroo, Anzar Ahmad
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Gnetopsida
Ephedrales
Ephedraceae
Ephedra
Ephedra intermedia

description: Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C.A.Mey. (Meyer 1846: 88)
Type: Songoria. KAZAKHSTAN. Tarbagatay, 12 Aug. 1840, Schrenk A.G. von,s.n. Herb. Al.de Bunge (possible syntype P, barcode P007388825 image). https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/436982609
= Ephedra pangiensis Rita Singh & P. Sharma (2015: 189), syn. nov.
Type: INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: Pangi Nala, Kinnaur, 3000 m, 10 October 2003, Singh & Sharma 86 (holotype, Indraprastha University Herbarium) n.v.
An erect to procumbent, 30–200 cm high shrubs to sub-shrubs with smooth, green branchlets and brownish black, longitudinally fissured and sheathed bark (Figure 1a–f). Upright green stems with alternating ridges and furrows (Figure 1 e & f, 2 a, b, d & g). Stomata occur in furrows whereas cuticular papillae on ridges (Figure 4). Leaves 2–3 per node, 2–6 mm long, connate up to 60–80% length, ephemeral, apices free, tapering proximally, acute to acuminate (Figure1e–h). Strobili usually axillary and rarely terminal, 2–18, 1–3 rows per node, sessile to pedunculate (3–9 mm stalk), bi–to trimerous, and on each shoot there are 4–9 such nodes, bracts opposite and decussate. Male strobili orange to yellow; 6–12 × 6–8 mm, with 2–3 proximal whorled sterile bract and 4–8 fertile bracts; pollens 50–60 × 20–30 µm, inaperturate, ellipsoidal and polyplicate (Figure 2 a–c, g). Female strobili oval, 6–9 × 3–5 mm, yellowish green, 4–6 whorled sterile bracts with basal 1–2 at the proximal end and terminated by single fertile bract whorl and rarely two (Figure 2 d–f). Bisexual strobili axillary to terminal, bi to trimerous (Figure 2g). Fruit fleshy, oblong to ovoid, 8–12 × 6–10 mm, red or orange or yellow, sessile to pedunculate (3–9 mm long), basal sterile peduncular bracts light golden to brown and apical bracts colored with hyaline margins, distal most bract whorl connate up to 70–90% length bearing 2 (rarely 1 or 3) seeds per fruit (Figure 2h–j). Seed ovoid to elongated ovoid, 4–6 × 2.5–3.5 mm, usually brown to black, sometimes mottled with rectangular yellow patches in bimerous strobili, seeds ventrally flat and dorsally convex, with faintly irregular ridges (Figures 3 a–c). Tubillus brown, twisted, coiled, zigzag or straight, 2.5–5 × 0.10–0.15 mm, sometimes twists connected by waxy substance, tubillus pore diameter 0.12–0.16 mm with one side open (Figures 3 d–f).
The comparative account of anatomical characters of E. intermedia, E. foliata Boiss. ex C.A. Mey., E. gerardiana Wall. ex Klotzsch & Garcke and E. regeliana Florin species growing in India is also provided in Table 1.
Phenology:—Vegetative and reproductive buds are borne on older secondary branches in the spring (April), flowering from May to July and fruiting from July to September.
Distribution:—In India, Ephedra intermedia is distributed in Western Himalaya, including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand (Figure 5). In Kashmir valley, it grows at Noorkah Uri (Baramulla), Sankaracharya hill (Srinagar), near Ajas Bandipora; and in Jammu region at Kishtwar and Padder. In Ladakh (Kargil and Leh districts), it is quite widespread growing as a cushion. In Himachal Pradesh, it grows in Lahul–Spiti and Kinnaur regions. In Uttarakhand, it grows in cold desert area of Uttarkashi to Johar valley (Figure 5). E. intermedia is distributed along both sides of the road along Chenab and Spiti rivers in Kinnaur and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh respectively. Along Chenab river, it occurs as abundant shrub with other plant species less abundant in Yangthang, Ka, Pooh, Spilo; however, at Pangi Nala it was observed to be relatively less abundant due to dominance of other plant species such as Pinus gerardiana Wall. ex D. Don. The altitudinal range of E. intermedia spans from 1000 m asl (Uri, Kashmir) to 5000 m asl (Khardung La Pass Ladakh) in India. E. intermedia grows in association with Ajania fruticulosa (Ledeb.) Poljakov, Cousinia thomsonii C. B. Clarke, Shangwua jacea (Klotzsch) Yu J.Wang & Raab-Straube, Askellia flexuosa (Ledeb.) W. A. Weber, Artemisia moorcroftiana Wall., A. brevifolia Wall. ex DC., A. persica Boiss, A. vestita Wall. ex Besser, Halogeton glomeratus (M. Bieb.) Ledeb., Pinus gerardiana, Clematis tibetana Kuntze and Capparis spinosa L.
Additional specimens examined:— INDIA. Jammu and Kashmir. Kargil treaty road Kashmir, 2 July 1941, Ludlow & Sherriff 8349 (E); Kashmir, 13 November 1869, Herb Falconer 988 (P); Drained Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, 2 October 1856, J Ball 4598 (E); Uri Baramullla, 13 May 2017, Zubair & Anzar 44599 (KASH); Zubair & Anzar 44598 (KASH); Kishtwar Himalaya, 1855, J.D. Hooker 77 (P); Padder, 28 June 2017, Zubair & Anzar 44584 (KASH). Ladakh: Lamayuru, 17 July 2018, Zubair & Anzar 44708 (KASH); Mout Nyoma, 12 September 2017, Zubair & Anzar 44577 (KASH); Khardung La Leh, 23 May 2017, Zubair & Anzar 44566 (KASH); Pangong Leh, 20 August 2003, Akhter 1063 (KASH); Turtuk Nubra, 26 September 2017, Zubair & Anzar 44574 (KASH); Kargil, Suruvalley, July 1933, W. N. Koelz, 7167 (US); Batalik Kargil, 25 May 2017, Zubair & Anzar 44582–83 (KASH). Himachal Pradesh: Pangi Killar, 2 June 1878, Watt & George 831 (E); Pangi Kinnaur, 6 June 1962, N.C. Nair 22437 (BSD); Pangi Nala, 29 August 2004, Helmut Freitag et al. (01786) –0093, 203, 204, 205 & 206 (Indraprastha University Herbarium); Pangi Nala Kinnaur, 14 Sept. 2019, Zubair & Anzar 5099 (KASH); Kurith and Rothang, Sept. 2004, Helmut Freitag et al. (01786) –0222 (Indraprastha University Herbarium); Near Pangi Nala, 6 July 2018, Zubair & Anzar 44603 (KASH); Yangthang, 31 August 2004, Helmut Freitag et al. (01786) –0218, 234 & 238 (Indraprastha University Herbarium); Kaza Spiti, 12 – 13 Sept.1933, W.Koelz 7165 (US). Uttarakhand: Tapoban, June 1992, Bhasker Dutt & Brij Lal 76706 (NBRI).
description: Published as part of Rather, Zubair Ahmad & Khuroo, Anzar Ahmad, 2022, Ephedra pangiensis, a new synonym of E. intermedia (Ephedraceae), pp. 83-90 in Phytotaxa 533 (1) on pages 87-89, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.533.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/5974110