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Looking for Ma-huang  (Ephedra sinica)

JB_OrchidGuy

Cardiac Nurse
Does anyone grow this? I am looking for a plant or two. Maybe some seeds? I have found them online, but if I cam trade for them all the better.
 
Bad stuff. I looked for seeds many years ago, but later read Chinese herbalists determine the strength by the taste and that anyone else is rolling the dice. Do you have a separate post for lab glassware and common household chemicals?
 
Is this a thin, branching, sticky, small shrubby thing. I pretty sure I have it - it was a collection made by an expedition many years ago. I'm in the UK, not sure if there are any restrictions on sending in - in which country are you living. I could easily put a piece in the post - but can't guarantee that it will get through.

Why are you looking for it? I like it but then not many people like the kind of things I like.


Best regards

Chris
 
Well Bruce not everyone wants the plant to extract the ephedrine for an illegal drug. The plant can be used to make tea and herbal remidies. There are no seperate post for glassware and common household chemicals. I know what your getting at and the insinuation isn't a good one. I grow plants, and I am insterested in the herbal remidies. I will be looking for goldenseal and other herbs if I find I can grow them. Plus the teas made can be used as a performance enhancer at the gym, and even brings relief to asthma by dialating broncial trees. Just because its not a common plant and it has akaloids of aphedra and psudopherda made in its tissue doesn't mean that everyone who wants it for an illicet reason.

Chris I like the oddities as well. The common things are what many people commonly grow. Why do I want to grow things every one grows? I like to grow some different things as well.

Heck if I could grow Mary Jane I would. Not because I want to smoke it, but because I think its a beautiful plant Thanks to all the parinoid freaks in congress and all the propaganda about the plant. It is illegal. I have to enjoy it only in pictures, and not in real life.
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I will just find the website I found the seeds and order from there, since asking for a trade of the plant seems to just bring implication.
 
Well I only asked because if you want some I'll send it - but it may have been that you wanted some dried material rather than growing bits. I got mine about 15 years ago and it grows in a gravel bed so it is slow for me. It came (if I remember) correctly from a Schilling collection. I have never tried it so any insinuations will be wasted, especially as I have plenty of lophophora (it's legal here) and other plants with medical applications - including hamemelis for instance. It is a facet of the plants that adds interest without dragging me into using them. Having seen the local population (in videos) eating loph. it is one plant I think should be avoided as far as consuming it goes - if i want to spew beer will do the trick ok
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.

Anyway - drop me a line if you want some Eph.

Best regards

Chris
 
The reference to crystal meth manufacturing is a lame attempt at humor.  The warning about it being dangerous stuff is real.  I had heard about it being an effective herbal remedy for asthma many years ago and wanted to grow it (I was into herbs then).  I later read that the natural variation of ephedrine content in Ma Huang is more than the difference between a therapeutic dose and a potentially fatal heart arhythmia.  Good thing I never found it.  If you want to grow it as an interesting plant, go for it.  But it's risky medicine.
 
I agree.. i would love to grow the plant just because it is uncommon, and no other reason, same thing with Salvia divinorum.. its a cool plant with a neat story.... And as orchid guy stated.. If Marijuna was legal, I'd love to grow it with absoloutly no intention of smoking or harvesting No drugs for me thank you!!.. It's just and odd ball collecting mentality.. many of us like the oddities. Many people including myself grow Brugmansia the angle trumpets which have killed many morons that use it as a narcotic... every month you see it in the paper.." retard dies... blah blah" The plants themselves are gorgeoyus the blooms are stunnning. Thats why I grow them nothing more.

Regards,

-Jc

Ps. If you're able to find ma-huang I'd be interested also.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (JB_OrchidGuy @ May 12 2006,1:51)]...Heck if I could grow Mary Jane I would. Not because I want to smoke it, but because I think its a beautiful plant.
I have to agree with you. I have seen the plant a couple times (my brother tried growing it in the alley behind our house when we were kids
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. Let's just say my Mom wasn't too happy with him for a while
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) Definitly a very nice foliage plant.
 
Yeah, the foliage is real nice.
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  • #10
Well there is a place in the states that sells the seeds to this plant, and I didn't realize they were so cheap. The site said 50 seeds for like 4 bucks. Gawd I am with ya on that one!! Eventhough the part your thinking about are literaly the flower buds, and even those are awsome to look at. Bruce I'm of the mind set that anything can be bad for you at some levels. Ever heard of the guy that died from drinking to much water??? He died after a fraternaty rush where they had him drink water instead of alcohol and he DIED from it. Diluted his blood so much that the heart couldn;t function because of the imbalance. So will I drink the tea? Probably not. I twould think it wouls taste awful, but that was a lagitmate use though. I really am into the odities, and though this looked odd enough.

Jc I had no clue that the angel trumpet was a source for a narcautic. Interesting. I have always wanted one of those too, but shied away from them because they were $25 a plant most of the time and didn't think I wanted it that much. Would raher spend $25 on a chid or CP.
 
  • #11
Everything can be bad at some level, but Ma Huang turns deadly at unpredictable levels.

Here's an interesting thing about marijuana - http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html - part of Purdue University's new crop series.  My alma mater University of Mississippi grows the government's stash and I used to walk past one of their fields to get to school.  It had a tall fence and the friendliest guard dog I've ever known.  I was told the serious production happened at a more isolated and secure field.
 
  • #12
Well I like the plant anyhow, and plan on ordering seeds for it.

Yup Yup I have heard of such a place, but forgot the name used. I want to say Cyprus hill, but I think I'm wrong on that one. There are so many usages to Mary Jane that its pathetic!! Jeans that will last 8 years easy. Ropes stronger than the nylon ropes of today. The seeds have the perfect balance of amino acids our body needs. One Acre of Hemp can produce as much paper as I think 9 acres of threes, plus that one acre can be grown annually where trees take years to mature. Also its not as bad as they claim it is for smoking either, but thats my opinion and the opinion of a few studies I have read. The majority still preach it bad. In fact I had a Dr go on and on about how its a neuro toxin this that and the other, and that night I researched it on line, and THC is being used to protect the body from neuro toxins. I printed it up and was going to give it to him, but I didn't feel like starting a war. Since he was a neruo surgeon and all. Doctors already are bad about knowing it all in their respected fields. Allot of them are afraid of new things being discovered. Thanks for the info Bruce that was an interesting read.
 
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