Damigeron's Dungeon: Prestigious Plants - Gymnosperms

Plant Indices

Alphabetical Index (Genera)
Alphabetical Index (Vernacular)
Cladistic Index

EPHEDRA (Ephedra)
Division: Gnetophyta
Order: Ephredales
Family: Ephedraceae

Ephedra funerea, or "Mormon tea," Arches National Park, Moab, Utah, USA.
Own work--climbjm.

Names:

Ephedra
Amsania [Hindi]
Asmani [Sanskrit]
Brigham Tea
Brigham Young Weed
Budshur [Persian]
Calafate [Spanish]
Canutillo [Spanish]
Cañadillo [Spanish]
Cao Ma Huang [Chinese]
Chewa [Tibetan]
Climbing Ephedra
Climbing Jointfir
Desert Tea
Ephedre [French]
Fruta De Coyote [Spanish]
Helvetica
Hom [Hebrew]
Huma [Tibetan]
Horse Tail
Indian Tea
Joint Fir
Joint Pine
Jointfir
Kanna [Japanese]
Kanna-Kabi [Japanese]
Khanda [Hindi]
Khanda-Rohida [Sanskrit]
Khor Kush [Persian]
Kupi [Sanskrit]
Ma Huang [Chinese]
Mao [Hebrew]
Meerträubel [German]
Meeräubel [German]
Mormon Tea
Mountain Rush
Pingo-Pingo [Spanish]
Pingopingo [Spanish]
Popotillo [Spanish]
Sea Grape
Shrubby Horsetail
Somlata [Hindi/Sanskrit]
Teamsters Tea
Tse [Tibetan]
Tut-i-Rawan [Persian]
Tutgha [Mongolian]
Wampo [Tibetan]
Wüstenrute [German]
Zeedruif [Dutch]

Biome: Prefers arid, sunny habitats, from deserts to high mountains.

Physical Description
A genus of gymnosperm shrubs.

Culture
Used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Magic
Ephedra is a possible candidate for the [soma] of the Rigveda.

Medical
We are not a medical website; do not take health advice from us.

Ephedra has a history as a prescription medicine going back to 5000 BC.

All parts of the plant contain 3% alkaloid epinephrine and pseudoephedrine. This has been attributed to the following medical benefits:

Analgesic (headache, muscular pain, rheumatic pain)
Stimulant.
Raises blood pressure
Decongestant.
Asthma treatment
Respiratory infection treatment (questionable).
Weight Loss

Poison
Overconsumption of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine can result in the following toxic effects:

Elevated blood pressure
Arrhythmia
Palpitation
Tachycardia
Myocardial infarction
Insomnia

The risk of toxic effects of ephedra increases if imbibed with caffeine, most notably myocardial infarction.

The biological purpose of ephedrine is as a poison against insects that disrupt their thermoregulation.

Ephedrine products from the early 20th century.
Photo taken from the National Library of Medicine (original link defunct).

Food
Ephedra is primarily taken directly in a tea.

Compiler Notes

Potentially useful reagent against swarms or insectoid monsters by burning them up.
Use as a magical stimulant, initiating something like a meth-excited haste-state.
Known common pain killer and decongestant, readily accessible even in ancient or medieval settings. Such trade will likely be tied heavily to manual workers involved in shipping, moving, hauling, etc.

Image Refs

[Img 01 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra_(medicine)#/media/File:Mormon_Tea_in_Arches_NP_-_July_2008.jpg ]

[Img 02 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EphedrineInBottles.jpg ]

Ephedra dystachya, female plant with ripe cones, outside Saratov city, Russia.
Own work--Le.Loup.Gris.

Names:

Common Ephedra
Alte Meerestrauben [German]
Amsania [Hindi]
Asmani [Sanskrit]
Capillaire [French]
Chvojník Dvojklasý [Czech]
Common Joint Pine
Europäischer Meerträubel [German]
European Ephedra
European Joint Pine
Gemeiner Meerträubel [German]
Gewöhnliche Meerträubel [German]
Gewöhnlicher Meerträubel [German]
Helvetica
Joint Pine
Khanda [Hindi]
Khanda-Rohida [Sanskrit]
Khvoynik Dvukhkoloskovyy [Russian]
Kızılcık [Turkish]
Kleiner Meerträubel [German]
Kupi [Sanskrit]
Ma Huang [Chinese]
Meerträubel [German]
Meerträubchen [German]
Mittelmeer Meerträubel [German]
Pin À Queue [French]
Raisin De Mer [French]
Rasin De Mer [French]
Sea Grape
Shrubby Horsetail
Somlata [Hindi/Sanskrit]
Steppe Ephedra
Traubenkraut [German]
Twospike Ephedra
Twospike Joint Pine
Uvette [French]
Zeedruif [Dutch]
Zweiahriger Meerträubel [German]

Distribution:

Asia, Central: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan
Asia, East: China (Inner Mongolia)
Asia, Northern: Russia (East European Russia, Krym, North Caucasus, Primorye, South European Russia, West Siberia)
Asia, West: Turkey
Europe, Central: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland
Europe, Eastern: Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine
Europe, Southern: Albania, Greece, Italy (including Sardinia, Sicily), North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain

Biome: Prefers arid, sunny habitats, from deserts to high mountains.

Physical Description
European ephedra is an evergreen shrub that grows 25-50cm (9.8-19.7in) tall. It favors fixed grey dunes and stable sand dunes covered in continuous vegetation.

As the type-species, everything that is written in the Genus entry above applies to this plant.

Compiler Notes