Ephedra intermedia, with the Chinese common name of Zhong Ma Huang, is a species of Ephedra that is native to Siberia, Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the western Himalayas, Tibet, Mongolia, and China.

[1][2][3] Ephedra intermedia is found in deserts, grasslands, floodlands and river valleys, slopes and cliffs, and sandy beaches.

It grows at elevations of 100–4,600 metres (330–15,090 ft), in rocky or sandy dry habitats.

Ephedra), "tribe" Pachycladae by Otto Stapf in 1889.

Price classified E. intermedia in section Ephedra without recognizing a tribe.