Trying to find out the difference between the two after going through the descriptions:
*Ephedra intermedia* *Ephedra gerardiana* Flora of Pakistan Shrubby plant up to 50 cm tall, branches usually many, erect to spreading, striate, *minutely tuberculate,* internodes straight or slightly bent. *Male strobili up to 8, whorled; bracts obovate,* connate; staminate column slightly exserted. *Female strobili paired or in whorls.* Tubillus exserted, slightly bent. Berry ovoid, red. Seeds ± 6 mm long, brownish. Plant shrubby, *tufted, dense*, 20‑120 cm tall. Branchlets green, ascending, striate, *smooth*.* Male strobilus solitary or in clusters of 2‑3.* Flowers 4‑8: *bracts obtuse,* connate. Staminal column exserted; anthers 5‑8. *Female strobili solitary.* Bracts 2‑3‑pairs, tubillus 1 mm long, straight. Berry 7‑8 mm long, ± ovoid, red. Flora of China 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. *Grasslands, deserts, river valleys, floodlands, sandy beaches, cliffs, other dry, sandy or rocky places; (100-)800-4600 m.* *Shrubs small, to 15 cm;* woody stems buried in soil, parts above ground scabrous, rarely almost smooth; branchlets directed upward, dark green, later brown, short, stout, usually with 1-3 nodes, internodes 1-1.5(-2) cm × 1.5-2 mm, longitudinally furrowed, often scabridulous. Leaves opposite, 2-3 mm, connate for ca. 2/3 their length. *Pollen cones solitary or 2 at nodes,* small, 2-5 × ca. 2 mm, sessile; bracts in 3 or 4(-6) pairs; staminal column exserted for ca. 1/2 its length, with 8 sessile anthers. Seed cones solitary, sessile or shortly pedunculate, subglobose at maturity, 5-7 mm in diam.; bracts in 2 or 3 pairs, connate for 1/4-1/3 their length, the apical pair for ca. 2/3 their length, red and fleshy at maturity; integument tube short, ca. 1 mm. Seeds 1 or 2, oblong or obovoid-oblong, 4-6 × 1.5-3 mm, exserted, apex obtuse or subacuminate. Pollination Jul, seed maturity Aug-Sep. *Dry and rocky slopes; 3700-5300 m.* -- With regards, J.M.Garg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "eFloraofIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CA%2BiuSFDdLUBwmEQspwLowe1hRsB899ZLFfjAN3_bnzCRp5pY7w%40mail.gmail.com.
