麻黄

Ephedrae Herba

It is the dry herbaceous stem of ephedraceae plant Ephedra sinica Stapf, Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A.Mey. and Ephedra equisetina Bge, The green herbaceous stem is pricked at autumn. It is dried in the sun.

[Properties]Ephedra sinica Stapf It is long and thin cylindrical. There are few branches. The diameter is 1-2mm. Sometimes there are a few brown woody stem. Its surface is light green or yellow green. There is thin vertical edge of regression. It feels rough slightly. The burl is obvious. The length of internode is 2-6cm. There is membranous sphophy on it. It is 3-4mm long. It has splinter 2(rare 3). It is sharp triangle-shaped. The upper top is off-white and curved reversely. The base is combined into tubular. It is reddish-brown. It is light, fragile and easily broken. The cross section is fibroid slightly. The periphery is green-yellow. The core is reddish-brown and circular-likely. It smells fragrant slightly. It tastes acerbic and bitter slightly.

Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A.Mey.There are numerous branches. The diameter is 1.5-3mm. It feels rough. The length of membranous sphophy on the internode is 2-3mm. It has splinter 2(rare 3). The upper top is sharp. The core of cross section is triple-circular.

Ephedra equisetina Bge There are numerous branches. The diameter is 1-1.5mm. It feels no rough. The length of internode is 1.5-3cm. The length of membranous sphophy is 1-2mm. It has splinter 2(rare 3). The upper is short-triangular. It is off-white. The upper top is not curved reversely usually. The base is reddish-brown to brown-black.

[Identification ] 1. cross section: Ephedra sinica Stapf Its epidermal cell is covered with thick cuticula. The edge of regression is a bit thick. There is cereous verruciform gibbosity. There are infossate air holes between the two edges of regression. There is hypodem fasciculus at edge of regression. The cell wall is thick and unlignified. The cortex is a bit broad. There are fasciculuses scattered in it. The fasciculu of pericycle is meniscoid. There are eight to ten collateral vascular bundles. They are combined into cambiumring-shaped rotundity. The xylem is triple. There are brown blocks in parenchyma cell of core. There is perimedullary fibre occasionally. There are major fine sand crystals or square crystals of calcium oxalate in ektexine of epidermal cell, parenchyma cell of cortex and fibire.

Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C.A.Mey. There are twelve to fifteen vascular bundles. They are combined into cambiumring-shaped triangle. The perimedullary fibres are gathered into bundle. Or they are scattered singly.

Ephedra equisetina Bge There are eight to ten vascular bundles. They are combined into cambiumring-shaped rotundity. There is no perimedullary fibre.

2. 0.2g of its powder is taken. 5mL water and one to two drops of dilute hydrochloric acid are added into. It is boiled for two to three minutes. It is filtered. Several drops of ammonia test solution is added into. It makes that it is alkaline. 5mL chloroform is added into. It is extacted while being shaked up. The chloroform solution is taken out. It is put into two cuvettes. The five drops of ammonia copper oxide test solution and carbon disulfide are added into. It is shaked up. It is placed naturally. The chloroform layer is deep yellow. The blank test is carried out in the other cuvette. Five drops of chloroform substitutes five drops of carbon disulfide. The other is the same as the above analytical method. After it is shaked up, the chloroform layer is colorless or shghtly tinted yellowish.

3. 1g of its powder is taken. Several drops of concentrated ammonia test solution is added into. 10mL chloroform is added into. It is refluxed for one hour. It is filtered. The filtrate is evaporated. 2mL methanol is added into the residue. It is shaked up adequately. It is filtered. The filtrate is