Herb: Longleaf Jointfir


Latin name: Ephedra trifurca


Family: Ephedraceae



Medicinal use of Longleaf Jointfir:

The dried and crushed stems are diuretic.An infusion has been used in the treatment of venereal disease, stomach complaints and kidney problems. The pulverized or boiled stems were also applied externally as a poultice on syphilitic sores by some native North American Indians. They can also be used as a poultice on other skin sores. Unlike many members of the genus, this species is not very rich in the alkaloid ephedrine and so is not used in the treatment of asthma.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Dry sandy and rocky places below 600 metres in Creosote bush scrub, deserts etc. Dry rocky slopes to flat sandy areas at elevations of 500 - 2000 metres.

Edible parts of Longleaf Jointfir:

A tea is made from the branches. Fruit - raw or cooked.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse. It can also be sown in spring in a greenhouse in a sandy compost. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in the spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some protection in their first winter. Division in spring or autumn. Layering.

Cultivation of Longleaf Jointfir:

Dry sandy and rocky places below 600 metres in Creosote bush scrub, deserts etc. Dry rocky slopes to flat sandy areas at elevations of 500 - 2000 metres.

Known hazards of Ephedra trifurca:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.