Ancient gymnosperm shrub of the central-Asian steppe whose jointed green stems have been used in Chinese medicine for over 5000 years and which provide one of the oldest known plant-derived stimulants — ephedrine.
ECOLOGY & HABITAT
Cold-hardy, drought-tolerant perennial of dry steppe and rocky slopes in northern China, Mongolia, and Central Asia.
Distribution
ChinaMongoliaRussian Far East
INDIGENOUS NAMES
The names this organism has been given by the cultures that have lived alongside it. Each carries an entire relationship — what is sacred is never simply translated.
- Má huáng (麻黃)Mandarin"Yellow hemp"
TRADITIONAL USE
- Foundational herb of Traditional Chinese Medicine — prescribed for cold, asthma, and lung conditions
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Some scholars (notably Victor Sarianidi at Gonur Depe) have argued that an Ephedra species is the haoma/soma of Indo-Iranian antiquity, citing archaeobotanical residue from BMAC ritual vessels.
GALLERY
2 images
REFERENCES
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- Sarianidi 1998
- Bensky et al. 2004
