A New Species of Ephedra L. (Ephedraceae) from Sichuan, China with a Note on Its Systematic Significance

Abstract

A new species, Ephedra dawuensis Y. Yang, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to E. equisetina Bunge in having thin branchlets 0.8-1 mm in diam. and brown scale-like leaves, and to E. saxatilis Royle ex Florin in having oblong-ellipsoid seeds and a short micropylar tube ca. 0.5 mm long. It differs from E. equisetina in having female cones bearing 2 or 3 pairs of bracts (vs. 4 or 3 pairs of bracts), purplish black, oblong-ellipsoid seeds (vs. ovoid seeds), and a shorter micropylar tube (vs. 1.5-2 mm long), and from E. saxatilis in having thinner branchlets and brown scale-like leaves (vs. yellowish, narrow triangular, leaves). This new species is assigned to E. sect. Ephedra in that the bracts of female cones become fleshy at maturity. Intermediate character states of this new species provide evidence for the hypothesized affinity between E. equisetina and E. saxatilis.