B73 



(leaf 2) 



dried roots and stems of two species of Ephedra* often mixed in 

 prescriptions with the products of other plants. These species are 

 still highly prized in the treatment of coughs, colds, headache, and 

 fever, and are also used as a blood purifier. Even today the steins of 

 these plants are sold in Chinese herb shops throughout the world 

 under the Chinese name ma huang. This Chinese drug plant has 

 for years been referred to a form (var. helve' tica) of the Old World 

 common jointfir (E. dista'chya, syn. E. vulga'ris). Recent investi- 

 gation, however, has demonstrated that the alkaloid ephedrine, an im- 

 portant drug, is extracted chiefly from Chinese jointfir (E. si'nica) 

 and, to a minor extent, from Mongolian jointfir (E. eqmseti'na). 

 The presence of ephedrine in the Chinese plants led to the investiga- 

 tion of our native species as a possible source of supply; thus far, 

 however, the results of such research have been negative; no ephe- 

 drine has yet been found in any American species. 5 Almost all the 

 species of Ephedra are easily reproduced from cuttings ; considerable 

 propagation work has been conducted in the Southwest in an effort to 

 introduce and cultivate some of the most important Old World spe- 

 cies. American Indians and Mexicans have long used decoctions of 

 the stems as an alleged specific for certain ailments of the genito- 

 urinary tract, and also as a cooling beverage ; in addition, they some- 

 times roasted and ate the seeds or used them in the preparation of 

 a bitter bread. The pioneers also used the jointfirs for tea and medi- 

 cine practices which still prevail among residents of outlying west- 

 ern settlements. Chemical analyses of American jointfirs reveal high 

 percentages of tannin; very little is known about other substances 

 contained in these species, including compounds of possible 

 medicinal or other economic value. 



Vine jointfir (E. (mtisyphili' tica) , with weak, bright yellow- 

 green, clambering stems, the branches and scales in pairs, is the 

 largest of our range jointfirs, attaining small-tree size (9 to 15 feet) 

 in the Rio Grande Valley. It is found from extreme southwestern 

 Colorado, through Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas, into 

 northern Mexico. Although of rather limited occurrence, it is grazed 

 to some extent. 



California jointfir (E. calif or* nica) grows naturally in California 

 from the Colorado River and Mohave Deserts north to western 

 Fresno County, west to San Diego, and thence into Lower Califor- 

 nia. 6 Definite observations are needed concerning its browse value. 



Nevada jointfir (E. nevaden'sis) and green jointfir (E. w'ridis), 

 probably the most important forage plants among United States 

 species of Ephedra, are moderately palatable to all classes of do- 

 mestic livestock as well as to deer. Frequently these plants are only 

 slightly (if at all) grazed on the summer range, but on the winter 



4 Groff, G. W., and Clark, G. W. THE BOTANY OF EPHEDHA IN RELATION TO YIELD OB* 

 PHYSIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES. Calif. Univ. Pubs., Bot. 14 (7) : 247-282, lllus. 

 1928. 



B Black, O. F., and Kelly, J. W. PSEUDO EPHEDRINE FROM EPHEDRA ALATA. Amer. Jour. 

 Pharm. 99 : 748-751. 1927. 



6 Jepson, W. L. A MANUAL OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS OF CALIFORNIA. 1,238 pp., lllus. 

 Berkeley, Calif. [1925.] 



