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Ephedra sinica

Common name:	Ma Huang	Family:	Ephedraceae
Author:	Stapf.	Botanical references:	266
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - N. China.
Habitat:	Deserty areas[254]. Waste and sandy places, plains and mountain slopes at elevations of 700 - 1600 metres[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	4

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Chinese Ephedra [P], Ma Huang [H,E], Sima-Mao [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ephedrales. Mormon-tea family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China; Japan

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 0.4m. . It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). The plant not is self-fertile. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 4/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antidote; Cardiac; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Pectoral; Vasoconstrictor; Vasodilator.

Ma Huang is a strongly stimulant acrid-tasting herb that is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[218, 254].
Most members of this genus contain various medicinally active alkaloids (but notably ephedrine) and they are widely used in preparations for the treatment of asthma and catarrh[238]. Ephedrine has a similar effect to adrenaline in the body[176]. It acts promptly to reduce swellings of the mucous membranes and has antispasmodic properties, thus making it valuable in the treatment of asthma[4]. The whole plant can be used at much lower concentrations than the isolated constituents - unlike using the isolated ephedrine, using the whole plant rarely gives rise to side-effects[254].
The stems are a pungent, bitter, warm herb that dilates the bronchial vessels whilst stimulating the heart and central nervous system[238]. The stems are also antidote, diaphoretic, diuretic, pectoral, vasoconstrictor and vasodilator[165, 176, 238]. They are used internally in the treatment of asthma, hay fever and allergic complaints[238]. The plant also has antiviral effects, particularly against influenza[238]. Ephedra is often combined with a number of other herbs and used in treating a wide range of complaints238]. This herb should be used with great caution, preferably under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[238]. It should not be prescribed to patients who are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or suffering from high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism or glaucoma[238]. Ephedrine is seen as a performance-boosting herb and, as such, is a forbidden substance in many sporting events such as athletics[K].
The stems can be harvested at any time of the year and are dried for later use[238].
The root is antihydrotic, it lowers blood pressure and dilates the peripheral blood vessels[176]. It is used in the treatment of night sweating and spontaneous sweating[176]. The root is believed to have the opposite action to the stem, but is only prescribed in cases of profuse sweating[218].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. A small plant of this species is being grown in the Centenary Border at Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire. It has survived at least one winter of temperatures down to below -10°c, but was not looking very vigorous when seen in September 1997[K]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Requires a well-drained loamy soil and a sunny position[11]. Established plants are drought resistant and are also lime tolerant[200].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown in fruit and seed are required.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[200]. It can also be sown in spring in a greenhouse in a sandy compost[K]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in the spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some protection in their first winter[K].
Division in spring or autumn[238].
Layering.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for ephedra sinica (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

References for the family Ephedraceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Ephedra sinica

(licia@yesmate.com) Wed Mar 5 19:38:00 2003

How can it be antihydrotic and diaphoretic at the same time? This would appear to be contradictory

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