''Ephedra viridis'', known by the common names green Mormon tea, Brigham tea, green ephedra, and Indian tea, is a species of '' Ephedra''. It is indigenous to the

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

, where it is a member of varied scrub, woodland, desert, and open habitats. It grows at elevations.

Description

The ''Ephedra viridis''

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

is woody below, topped with many dense clusters of erect bright green twigs. They may yellow somewhat with age. Nodes along the twigs are marked by the tiny pairs of

vestigial Vestigiality is the retention, during the process of evolution, of genetically determined structures or attributes that have lost some or all of the ancestral function in a given species. Assessment of the vestigiality must generally rely on co ...

leaves, which start out reddish but soon dry to brown or black. The stems are green and

photosynthetic Photosynthesis ( ) is a Biological system, system of biological processes by which Photoautotrophism, photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical ener ...

. Male plants produce pollen cones at the nodes, each under a centimeter long with protruding yellowish sporangiophores. Female plants produce seed cones which are slightly larger and contain two seeds each.

Chemistry

Information about the chemistry of this species is contradictory. James D. Adams, Jr. and Cecilia Garcia claim it contains no

ephedrine Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and sympathomimetic agent that is often used to prevent hypotension, low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred ...

, but that it does contain

pseudoephedrine Pseudoephedrine, sold under the brand name Sudafed among others, is a sympathomimetic medication which is used as a decongestant to treat nasal congestion. It has also been used off-label for certain other indications, like treatment of lo ...

. However, a gas chromatograph analysis of samples conducted by Richard F. Keeler found no measurable amount of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, or norpseudoephedrine. The toxic symptoms found in his study were consistent with a high tannin content rather than with alkaloid poisoning.

Uses

A tea can be made by boiling the stems, hence the common name, "green Mormon tea". The plant is used medicinally by both Native Americans and the ancient Chinese (using their own local species of the genus) to treat various afflictions including

sexually transmitted diseases A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, oral ...

such as

gonorrhea Gonorrhoea or gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium ''Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Gonorrhea is spread through sexual c ...

and

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...

kidney diseases Kidney disease, or renal disease, technically referred to as nephropathy, is damage to or disease of a kidney. Nephritis is an inflammatory kidney disease and has several types according to the location of the inflammation. Inflammation can ...

, and complications with menstruation. Native American tribes such as the

Shoshone The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ), also known by the endonym Newe, are an Native Americans in the United States, Indigenous people of the United States with four large cultural/linguistic divisions: * Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming * Northern Shoshon ...

and

Paiute Paiute (; also Piute) refers to three non-contiguous groups of Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, these three languages do not form a single subgroup and th ...

boil tea using the stem of the plant and combined it with the bark of '' Purshia tridentata'', another shrub. The

Navajo The Navajo or Diné are an Indigenous people of the Southwestern United States. Their traditional language is Diné bizaad, a Southern Athabascan language. The states with the largest Diné populations are Arizona (140,263) and New Mexico (1 ...

have used the plant as a dye solution to produce a yellowish-green color on woolen rugs, whereas other species can produce a light tan or reddish dye.National Park Service - Aztec Ruins, s.v. Jointfir - ''Ephedra'' spp.
/ref> In modern medicine, the plant is used to treat sinus illnesses such as

hay fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...

, common colds, and sinusitis. This use is supported by clinical trials, as it is a treatment for bronchial asthma. Because the plant can be used as an appetite suppressant, it is used illegally by some athletes to lose weight and build muscle. Because it is toxic, the plant should not be ingested without a doctor’s recommendation.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Ephedra viridis''''Ephedra viridis'' — U.C. Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5382151 viridis North American desert flora Flora of the Western United States Plants described in 1893 Flora without expected TNC conservation status