Desert Tea-----------Ephedra californica

(Las Pilitas Nursery Photo)

Ephedra californica is native to both California and Arizona. It was used by indigenous people to cleanse the blood and suppress appetite.

It is called Desert Tea or Jointfir. Can you see the joints in the photo above?

Many species of Ephedra grow around the world. One of the most famous is Ephedra sinica, also known as Ma Huang. It has been used in Chinese tradition medicine for 2,000 years. Many ephedras, including this one, contain epinephrine and pseudo-epinephrine. They shrink swollen tissue, relieving nasal congestion. They are also stimulants that increase the heart rate, sometimes enough to cause cardiac arrest or stroke. In the early 1900s, Nagai Nagoyoshi created methamphetamine from E. sinica. It was subsequently given to soldiers to keep them awake and keep them fighting. Not just Japanese soldiers, but also American, German and British soldiers.

You can't buy meth legally, but you can buy pseudo epinephrine; the brand name is Sudafed. But the sale is now closely monitored because too many people were using it to cook meth.


(Intoxicating Plants)