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blooming Mormon Tea. I read up a little more about this very interesting plant:
Leaves are so tiny that they are incapable of supporting the plants through photosynthesis which, therefore, takes place in the green stem itself.
Ephedra is a gymnosperm, that is, it does not have true flowers but instead produces spores in cone-like structures. It is thus a relative of the Pines, Junipers, and Spruces. The male and female cone-like structures may number from one to many at a node.
and this: The Greek name "Ephedra" is from ancient times, dating back to Pliny's description of Hippuris which Ephedra resembles. Three thousand years before Pliny the Chinese realized that species of Ephedra, especially Ephedra sinica, had medicinal properties for treating respiratory ailments. We now know that Ephedra taken orally stimulates the body in a manner similar to injected adrenaline. Ephedra sinica contains the chemicals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine which stimulate the heart, the lungs, and the nervous system. These chemicals can cause severe life-threatening or disabling conditions in some people and they are linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, muscle disorders, seizures, strokes, irregular heartbeat, loss of consciousness, and death. For these reasons, the FDA banned all Ephedra products in 2004. They are also banned by the International Olympic Committee and sports associations.
However, in small doses in products such as Sudafed, pseudoephedrine provides one of the leading over-the-counter and prescription treatments for allergies, congestion, asthma, etc.
Leaves are so tiny that they are incapable of supporting the plants through photosynthesis which, therefore, takes place in the green stem itself.
Ephedra is a gymnosperm, that is, it does not have true flowers but instead produces spores in cone-like structures. It is thus a relative of the Pines, Junipers, and Spruces. The male and female cone-like structures may number from one to many at a node.
and this: The Greek name "Ephedra" is from ancient times, dating back to Pliny's description of Hippuris which Ephedra resembles. Three thousand years before Pliny the Chinese realized that species of Ephedra, especially Ephedra sinica, had medicinal properties for treating respiratory ailments. We now know that Ephedra taken orally stimulates the body in a manner similar to injected adrenaline. Ephedra sinica contains the chemicals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine which stimulate the heart, the lungs, and the nervous system. These chemicals can cause severe life-threatening or disabling conditions in some people and they are linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, muscle disorders, seizures, strokes, irregular heartbeat, loss of consciousness, and death. For these reasons, the FDA banned all Ephedra products in 2004. They are also banned by the International Olympic Committee and sports associations.
However, in small doses in products such as Sudafed, pseudoephedrine provides one of the leading over-the-counter and prescription treatments for allergies, congestion, asthma, etc.