Ma Huang (Ephedra)
Herb Ma Huang (Botanical name) (Stem slender, cylindrical, slightly flattened, few branches, greenish-yellow)
Herb Ma Huang (Fine longitudinal ridges slightly rough, nodes obvious, nodes with 2 membranous scale leaves, fibrous cross-section)
Equisetum Ma Huang (Botanical name)
Honey-fried Ma Huang
Ma Huang Root
Ma Huang Root Slices
【Name】
【Source】
Shen Nong’s Classic of Materia Medica, Middle Class
【Common Usage Level】
A
【Origin】
The dried herbaceous stem of Ephedra family, Herb Ma Huang Ephedra sinica Stapf., Equisetum Ma Huang Ephedra equisetina Bge., or Middle Ma Huang Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et Mey.
【Characteristics】
The stem is slender and cylindrical, slightly flattened, with few branches. It is about 1-2 mm in diameter. The surface is light green to yellowish-green, with fine longitudinal ridges. It feels slightly rough to the touch. The nodes are distinct, with internodes 2.5-6 cm long. The nodes have 2 membranous scale leaves, about 3-4 mm long, grayish-white at the top, sharp and long, triangular, with recurved tips and reddish-brown bases, fused into a cylindrical shape. The stem is brittle and easily broken. The cross-section is slightly fibrous, with a greenish-yellow outer ring and a red central pith. It has a slightly fragrant odor and a slightly bitter and astringent taste.
【Identification】
“Essential Secrets from the Outer Platform” states: “Generally, Euphorbia, Citrus aurantium, tangerine peel, Pinellia, Ma Huang, and Evodia rutaecarpa are better when aged. The rest only need to be refined and new.” “Discrimination of Good and Bad” states: “Chew it in the mouth, and if the tongue feels numb, and the color is greenish-blue and new, it is superior.” The best is when the strips are thick, the outer color is greenish-yellow, the nodes do not fall off, powder shoots out when broken, there are <a href='https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硃砂/’>cinnabar dots (pigment clumps in the pith) in the middle, and it has no roots, no mud taste, and is bitter and astringent. The next best is when the strips are thin and soft, not easily broken, or withered and the nodes fall off.
【Identification Terms】
1. Rose Heart: The reddish-yellow pith of Ma Huang, which is the color presented by ephedrine.
The three types of Ma Huang are similar.
(1) Herb Ma Huang has few branches, few woody stems, fine longitudinal ridges, and distinct nodes.
(2) Middle Ma Huang has more branches, often with more woody stems, and the fine longitudinal lines are rough, feeling rough to the touch.
(3) Equisetum Ma Huang has many branches, often with thick and long woody stems, indistinct longitudinal ridges, and no rough feel to the touch. All three are used equally in medicine.
【Category】
Whole Herb Category