View source for Ephedra (genus)

{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Ephedra''
| image = Ephedra distachya.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Ephedra distachya'' in France
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Gnetophyta]]
| classis = [[Gnetophyta|Gnetopsida]]
| ordo = '''Ephedrales'''
| familia = '''Ephedraceae'''
| genus = '''''Ephedra'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
See text.
}}

''This article is about the genus Ephedra. For the use of the plant in medicine, see ''[[Ephedra]]''.

'''''Ephedra''''' is a genus of [[gymnosperm]] [[shrub]]s, the only genus in the family '''Ephedraceae''' and order '''Ephedrales'''. These plants occur in dry climates over a wide area mainly in the [[Northern Hemisphere]], across southern [[Europe]], north [[Africa]], southwest and central [[Asia]], southwestern [[North America]], and, in the [[Southern Hemisphere]], in [[South America]] south to [[Patagonia]]. They are also called '''Joint-pine''', '''Jointfir''', or '''Mormon-tea'''. The [[China|Chinese]] name is 麻黄, ''má huáng'', which means "yellow hemp". Ephedra is also sometimes called sea grape (from the French ''raisin de mer''), although that is also a common name for ''[[Coccoloba uvifera]]''. 

== Medical Uses ==
{{main|Ephedra}}
Plants of the ''Ephedra'' genus, including ''[[Ephedra sinica|E. 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]].<ref name=Abourashed_2003>{{cite journal |author=Abourashed E, El-Alfy A, Khan I, Walker L |title=Ephedra in perspective--a current review |journal=Phytother Res |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=703-12 |year=2003 |id=PMID 12916063}}</ref> They have also been proposed as a candidate for the [[Soma]] plant of [[Indo-Iranian]] religion. The [[alkaloid]]s [[ephedrine]] and [[pseudoephedrine]] are active constituents of ''E. sinica'' and other members of the genus. These compounds are [[Sympathomimetic amine|sympathomimetics]] with [[stimulant]] and [[decongestant]] qualities and are related chemically to the [[amphetamine]]s.

== Species ==
The following list of species is from the [http://www.conifers.org/ep/ep/index.htm Gymnosperm Database] page for ''Ephedra''.  
*''[[Ephedra alata]]'' Decne
*''[[Ephedra altissima]]'' Desf.
*''[[Ephedra antisyphilitica]]'' Berl. ex C.A.Meyer - Clapweed, Erect Ephedra
*''[[Ephedra aspera]]'' Engelm. ex S.Wats. - Boundary Ephedra, Pitamoreal 
*''[[Ephedra californica]]'' S.Wats. - California Ephedra, California Jointfir
*''[[Ephedra coryi]]'' E.L.Reed - Cory's Ephedra
*''[[Ephedra cutleri]]'' Peebles - Navajo Ephedra, Cutler's Ephedra, Cutler Mormon-tea, Cutler's Jointfir
*''[[Ephedra distachya]]'' L. - Joint-pine, Jointfir 
**''Ephedra distachya'' subsp. ''helvetica'' (C.A.Meyer) Aschers. & Graebn.
*''[[Ephedra equisetina]]'' Bunge - Ma huang
*''[[Ephedra fasciculata]]'' A.Nels. - Arizona Ephedra, Arizona Jointfir, Desert Mormon-tea
*''[[Ephedra fedtschenkoae]]'' Pauls.
*''[[Ephedra fragilis]]'' Desf.
**''Ephedra fragilis'' subsp. ''campylopoda'' (C.A.Meyer) Aschers. & Graebn.
*''[[Ephedra frustillata]]'' Miers - Patagonian Ephedra
*''[[Ephedra funerea]]'' Coville & Morton - Death Valley Ephedra, Death Valley Jointfir
*''[[Ephedra gerardiana]]'' Wallich ex C.A.Meyer - Gerard's Jointfir, Shan Ling Ma Huang
*''[[Ephedra intermedia]]'' Schrenk ex C.A.Meyer
*''[[Ephedra lepidosperma]]'' C.Y.Cheng[[Image:Illustration Ephedra distachya0.jpg|thumb|''Ephedra distachya'']]
*''[[Ephedra likiangensis]]'' Florin
*''[[Ephedra macedonica]]'' Kos.
*''[[Ephedra major]]'' Host
**''Ephedra major'' subsp. ''procera'' Fischer & C.A.Meyer
*''[[Ephedra minuta]]'' Florin
*''[[Ephedra monosperma]]'' C.A.Meyer
*''[[Ephedra nevadensis]]'' S.Wats. - Nevada Ephedra, Nevada Jointfir, Nevada Mormon-tea
*''[[Ephedra pedunculata]]'' Engelm. ex S.Wats. - Vine Ephedra, Vine Jointfir
*''[[Ephedra przewalskii]]'' Stapf 
**''Ephedra przewalskii'' var. ''kaschgarica'' (B.Fedtsch. & Bobr.) C.Y.Cheng 
*''[[Ephedra regeliana]]'' Florin - Xi Zi Ma Huang 
*''[[Ephedra saxatilis]]'' (Stapf) Royle ex Florin
*''[[Ephedra sinica]]'' Stapf - Cao Ma Huang, Chinese ephedra
*''[[Ephedra torreyana]]'' S.Wats. - Torrey's Ephedra, Torrey's Jointfir, Torrey's Mormon-tea, Cañutillo
*''[[Ephedra trifurca]]'' Torrey ex S.Wats. - Longleaf Ephedra, Longleaf Jointfir, Longleaf Mormon-tea, Popotilla, Teposote
*''[[Ephedra viridis]]'' Coville - Green Ephedra, Green Mormon-tea

<gallery>
Image:Ephedra antisyphilitica branch.jpg|''[[Ephedra antisyphilitica]]''
Image:Lumbar plant ephedra distachya.jpg|''[[Ephedra distachya]]''
Image:Ephedra fragilis1 ies.jpg|''[[Ephedra fragilis]]''<br>Male plant with cones
Image:Ephedra fragilis2 ies.jpg|''[[Ephedra fragilis]]''<br>Staminate (male) cones
Image:Ephedra_viridis_1.jpg|''[[Ephedra viridis]]''<br>in western Nevada
Image:Ephedra regalia.JPG|''[[Ephedra regeliana]]'' with Canadian quarter for scale
Image:Ephedra chilensis.jpg|Ephedra chilensis
</gallery>
{{commonscat|Ephedraceae}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Ephedra%20viridis ''Ephedra viridis'' (Plants for a Future Database)]

[[Category:Gnetophyta]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Plant families|Ephedraceae]]

[[de:Meerträubel]]
[[es:Ephedraceae]]
[[fa:ریش بز]]
[[fr:Raisin de mer]]
[[it:Ephedra]]
[[he:שרביטן]]
[[nl:Ephedra]]
[[ja:マオウ]]
[[pt:Ephedrales]]
[[sv:Efedraväxter]]
[[vi:Chi Ma hoàng]]
[[zh:麻黄]]
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