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Ephedra | |
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Ephedra (Ephedra spp.) has been known in the Orient for over 5000 years. In the early part of this century, Chinese researchers isolated the substance ephedrine from the plant, and today China remains the principal supplier of this important asthma drug. The American species contain only trace amounts of ephedrine but these desert plants have nevertheless played a part in folk medicine. The most common use of the American species is in making a pleasant piney tea. Attempts to extract the same drug from the American species have been disappointing, but weak as it is, ephedra is still considered a good decongestant, tonic, diuretic, and fever and cold medication. These plants aren't usually cultivated except in special botanical collections. The plants grow very slowly and are not easy to raise. Propagation is by division, seed or layering.
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Kwesi Ampong-Nyarko.
This document is maintained by Shelley Barkley.
This information published to the web on June 11, 2001.
Last Reviewed/Revised on May 19, 2009.
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