Sea grape

Seeds: 10  / Botanical name: Ephedra sinica

Stimulating shrub with a long tradition in Chinese medicine

It is also called Huang, the shrubby plant. It has many stems reminiscent of horsetail, bears red-orange berries, and can grow very tall and longer than a person. Popular for millennia, it is used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as by the general population. This is due to the alkaloid ephedrine it contains, which has a similar chemical structure to adrenaline and, among other things, has mood-enhancing and bronchodilatory effects. It was therefore used to improve performance and also to treat respiratory illnesses. There are many species of Ephedra. However, Ephedra sinica has the highest ephedrine content. Due to its increased potential for addiction and other side effects, it is used less frequently in medicine today. The alkaloid ephedrine is a starting material for the chemical synthesis of crystal meth. 

Natural habitat: Southeast Asia is considered its place of origin.