Abstract
Ephedra (epherdre du valais in French and Walliser meertraubchen in German) is a small perennial shrub with thin stems. It rarely grows to more than a foot in height, and at first glance, the plant looks very much like a small broom. Different, closely related, species are found in western Europe, southeastern Europe, Asia, and even the New World. Some of the better known species include Ephedra sinica and E. equisentina (collectively known as ma haung) from China, as well as E. geriardiana, E. intermedia, and E. major which grow in India and Pakistan, and countless other members of the family Ephedraceae that grow in Europe and the United States (E. distachya, E. vulgaris). The various species are collectively known as ma huang, even though that name should really be confined to the species grown in China (Namba et al., 1976).
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