Ephedrae Herba (ma huang/má huáng, 麻黄)
Pharmaceutical name: Ephedrae Sinicae Herba
English name: Ephedra stem
Processed form: Honey-processed ephedra; ephedra floss; honey-processed ephedra floss
Property and taste: Warm; acrid & slightly bitter
Channels entered: Lung, bladder
Actions: Induces sweating and releases the exterior, moves lung qi and stops wheezing, promotes urination and reduces swelling
Dosage: 2-9g; decocted first
Cautions & contraindications
Since this herb can strongly induce sweating and move lung qi, the dosage should not be too large. Nor should it be prescribed, without any adjustment in the prescription, for those with spontaneous sweating from exterior deficiency, those with night sweating from yin deficiency, those with wheezing associated with deficiency of the kidney and lung.

Indications
      For patterns of wind-cold exterior excess with panting and coughing, as in Ephedra Decoction (ma huang tang/má huáng tāng).
      For cough and panting due to obstruction of lung qi caused by excessive exterior cold-wind, as in Three-Unbinding Decoction (san ao tang/sān ăo tāng);
       For panting and cough with profuse and clear sputum due to cold phlegm and retained water, as in Minor Bluegreen Dragon Decoction (xiao qing long tang/xiăo qīng lόng tāng);
       For high fever and sever panting due to heat obstructing the lung, as in Ephedra, Apricot Kernel, Gypsum, and Licorice Decoction (ma xing shi gan tang/má xìng shí gān tāng).
      For edema and dysuria with exterior pattern, as in Licorice and Ephedra Decoction (gan cao ma huang tang/gān cǎo má huáng tāng);
        For acute edema, as in Maidservant from Yue Decoction plus Atractylodes (yue bi jia zhu tang/yùe bì jiā zhú tāng).
Quality Criteria
High-quality ephedra has light green or yellowish green stem with a reddish brown center. The stem sections cannot be pulled apart. The taste is slightly bitter and acrid. There is no dropping when pulled by hands.
Production Regions
It is primarily produced in Heibei, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shanxi provinces in China.