About Ephedra viridis Coville
Ephedra viridis Coville is a woody shrub that has a dense cluster of erect, bright green twigs at the top; these twigs may turn somewhat yellow as they age. The nodes along the twigs are marked by tiny pairs of vestigial leaves, which start out reddish but quickly dry out and turn brown or black. The green stems of the plant are photosynthetic. Male individuals produce pollen cones at the nodes; each pollen cone is less than a centimeter long and has protruding yellowish sporangiophores. Female individuals produce slightly larger seed cones, each containing two seeds.
A tea can be made by boiling the stems of this plant, which gives it its common name "green Mormon tea". The plant has been used medicinally: Native American peoples have used it, while ancient Chinese people used their own local species of this genus to treat a range of conditions including sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea and syphilis), kidney diseases, and menstrual complications. Native American tribes including the Shoshone and Paiute boil the plant's stems to make tea, and often combine it with the bark of Purshia tridentata, another shrub. The Navajo people use this plant to make a dye solution that produces a yellowish-green color for woolen rugs, while other Ephedra species produce light tan or reddish dye. In modern medicine, the plant is used to treat sinus conditions including hay fever, the common cold, and sinusitis, and this use is supported by clinical trials; it is also used as a treatment for bronchial asthma. Because it can act as an appetite suppressant, some athletes use it illegally to lose weight and build muscle. Since the plant is toxic, it should not be ingested without a doctor's recommendation.
