The Herbarium
Part VI · Regulated or restricted
Herb. No. 074
Ephedra
Ephedra sinica
Ephedraceae
Ma huang — the desert shrub behind ephedrine. A regulated stimulant, not a kitchen tea.
Ma huang. Dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids are banned in the US. The raw herb is a traditional Chinese medicine handled by licensed practitioners. Concentrated extracts and 'fat-burner' teas are illegal or unsafe. Check local law before possessing processed material.
- Parts used
- Green stems (traditional TCM, licensed context)
- Traditional notes
- Wind-cold wheeze in classical formulas · Historical anti-asthma herb
- Habitat only
- Arid steppe and desert of northern China and Mongolia; related species in the American West (Mormon tea) are chemically milder and are a different folk tradition.
- A desert gymnosperm. This plate is identification and law, not a stimulant garden.
- Dietary ephedrine alkaloids are banned in US supplements.
- Do not brew the stems as a workout tea.
Safety
Heart disease Hypertension Thyroid disease Pregnancy
Lookalikes
- Horsetail — Two jointed green sticks. Horsetail is a silica scouring rush. Ephedra is a restricted stimulant in most of the United States.
Lore
Ma huang. Chinese medicine used the stem for wheeze; Western industry used it for speed, then banned the extract. The desert shrub is not a kitchen tea.
The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.