Ephedra seeds ma huang seeds

LATIN NAME: EPHEDRA SINICA

COMMON NAME: Ma Huang

The ma huang mats the low, spreading, evergreen shrub with the slender, jointed, grey-green stems that mat the ground in the dense, tangled carpet, the tiny, scale-like leaves clasping the joints, the small, yellow-green cones following, the shrub holding the dry, wiry look. It spreads steadily across the open, sandy ground, and it stands the cold, the drought and the poor soil well. It likes the sun, and the light, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The mat-forming, jointed stems of the ma huang give it a recognised place in the research on the steppe and desert shrubs of the ancient gnetophyte group, and the sinica species appears in the studies of the wind-erosion control plants and the sandy-soil anchoring. The work looks at the way the wiry carpet mats the loose ground, the stem chemistry, and the seed biology. The ecologists value the soil-holding habit, and the growers of the drought-tolerant shrubs keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the dry, open ground, the ma huang mats the desert edge with the wiry, grey-green stems. The grey-green carpet anchors the sandy soil, the shrub feeds the early bees, and it makes the fine erosion-holding and wild-garden plant. It grows well in the light, well-drained, sunny ground. Matting, wiry and dune-holding.

To grow the Ma Huang from seed, sow the seeds in deep, gritty drills in the open ground.

Sow the seeds in deep, gritty drills in the open ground, and give the young plants the open, sunny spot. The mat stems come within a season or two. , watering them in well, keep the drills lightly watered, and the young plants show in their own good time. The mat stems will carpet within a season or two.

Ephedra Sinica and others, have traditionally been used by indigenous people for a variety of medicinal purposes, including treatment of asthma, hay fever, and the common cold. Ephedra is an herb of controversy. It contains Ephedrine, a Powerfull stimulant alkaloid used in many weight loss medicines, but the herb has been used safely by the Chinese for thousands of years where it was used for treating asthma and increasing energy. Does well in pots prefers full sun and dry, sandy soils. It has high concentrations of the various Ephedrine alkaloids and it has them in the naturally balanced state. Its a whole herb, and can be used in the form of the dried "stems" as a tea. The tea is used as a bronchial dilator–very helpful for asthmatics, and like coffee, gently stimulating to the CNS (central nervous system).