Ephedra distachya

Ephedra distachya

Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Gymnospermae
Division:	Gnetophyta
Class:	Gnetopsida
Order:	Ephedrales
Family:	Ephedraceae
Genus:	Ephedra
Species:	E. distachya
Binomial name
*Ephedra distachya* L.^[1]
Synonyms^[2]
Chaetocladus distachys (L.) J.Nelson Ephedra monostachya L. Ephedra polygonoides Pall. 1815 not Siev. 1796 Ephedra vulgaris Rich., illegitimate name Ephedra minor Host Ephedra botryoides Fisch. Ephedra media C.A.Mey. Ephedra subtristachya C.A.Mey. Ephedra arborea Lag. ex Bertol. Ephedra clusii Dufour Ephedra macrocephala Bertol. Ephedra maritima St.-Lag. Ephedra dubia Regel Ephedra podostylax Boiss. Ephedra linnaei Stapf ex Koehne Ephedra helvetica C.A.Mey. Ephedra rigida St.-Lag. Ephedra negrii Nouviant

Ephedra distachya is a shrub in the family Ephedraceae that stands about 25 cm to 50 cm high. The shrub grows in many parts of the world, including southern and central Europe and western and central Asia.^[2]^[3] Its local names include somlatha.^{[clarification needed]}^{[citation needed]} Ephedra distachya lives on grey dunes which are fixed and stable sand dunes that are covered in continuous vegetation.

YouTube Encyclopedic

1/3
Views:
12 894
4 294
1 185

Transcription

Ephedra sinica belongs to the family Ephedraceae. It is known popularly like ephedra It is cultivated in autumn and reproduces for seeds or by means of division of the root and the stems. He supports well the drought and does not tolerate a lot of water, direct exhibition to the sun. Is comes from nord of China It’s a small shrub which size is 20-40 cm of height with articulated branches of green color. It possesses everlasting leaves Thin and angular stem The seeds have a Brown color and it grow for couples. Flowers have reproductive dioic parts Flowers are yellow or green The leaves, are inserted in pairs to level of the knots The stems are old and woody The polinitic sack have a peduncle and 3 lobes The plant owes his action principally to the alkaloids ephedrina, pseudoephedrina and norpseudoephedrina, they can produce stimulation of the nervous central system. The fruit has two carpels and a seed in his interior The fruit is similar to a red berry The medicinal plant in China is known as " Ma huang " and is obtained from young and dry branches of the ephedra. It is in use for treating fundamentally the symptoms of the asthma and respiratory top infections. The ephedra is a plant used by the Chinese medicine since 2500 years ago. Many energetic products and to lose weight, contain efedrina

Subspecies

Ephedra distachya subsp. distachya – central + southern Europe, southwestern + central Asia
Ephedra distachya subsp. helvetica (C.A.Mey.) Asch. & Graebn. – Switzerland, France, Italy, Slovenia, Austria

History

Ephedra is part of a group of plants called ‘gnetophytes’. These plants have hardly changed in the past 100 million years, and are thought to be relics of an ancient flora. The leaves of Ephedra are tiny and scale-like. Gnetophyte leaves evolved independently from leaves in flowering plants. Ephedra produces the alkaloid ephedrine, which has been shown to interfere with insect thermoregulation and may also have effects on insect neurotransmitters. This may be the method by which the plant deters insect herbivores.^[4]

Uses

Ephedra distachya is used to relieve acute muscular and rheumatic pains (when it is called teamsters' tea), as a stimulant, and in the cardio tonics in Ayurveda.^{[citation needed]} It is sometimes identified with the legendary drug soma, as described in the Avesta and the Rig Veda, the respective ancient sacred texts of the Zoroastrian and Hindu faiths.

Ephedrine, an alkaloid, is obtained from its dried branches and is used as a stimulant, often to control asthma. It was isolated from the plant by Nagayoshi Nagai in 1885. All parts of the plant contain up to 3% ephedrine.^[5]

Side effects

Although Ephedra has many benefits, side effects include insomnia and a fast heart rate.^[4]

Gallery

Botanical illustration.
Male plant in bloom.
Pollen cones.
Female cones.
Ripe cones with seeds.
Female plant with ripe cones.
Rhizome and bark.

References

^ "Ephedra distachya". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
^ ^a ^b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Efedra distachia, Ephedra distachya L.
^ ^a ^b "Sea Grape (Ephedra distachya)". Cambridge Botanic Garden. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
^ "Meerträubel (Ephedra distachya) im GIFTPFLANZEN.COMpendium - www.giftpflanzen.com". www.giftpflanzen.com. Retrieved 2008-04-18.

Schneider-Binder, & Kuhlke, F. (2015). HABITATS WITH SEA GRAPE (EPHEDRA DISTACHYA) ON THE DUNES OF LETEA (DANUBE DELTA, ROMANIA)/Lebensräume mit Meerträubchen (Ephedra distachya) auf den Dünen von Letea (Donau-Delta, Rumänien)/Habitatele cu Ephedra distachya de pe dunele de la Letea (Delta Dunarii, România). Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research, 17(2), 45–. https://doi.org/10.1515/trser-2015-0062