Ephedra andina

Ephedra alkaloids content were determined by O Dowd and colleagues, who reported the highest amount of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in E. equisetina, while the lowest amount was recorded in Ephedra andina [28] (Table 27.3). 

The world war made all these sources of supply difficult of access and stimulated interest in the possibilities of local production. Examination of a number of American species of ephedra had already shown them to be devoid of alkaloids, except for the S. American species E. andina, in which Chavezt found ephedrine, and in the United States attention has been given to the experimental cultivation of imported species, notably E. sinica and E. gerardiana a Moroccan type, E. alenda, was found to contain only ). In Australia experimental cultivation of the Indian species E. gerardiana, E. intermedia and E. nebrodensis has been tried and preliminary yields of 1-35, 1-OS and 0-98 per cent, of total alkaloids respectively have been recorded. In Russia, E. equisetina and E. intermedia are available and are considered to be worth exploitation. In Italy various local species have been found to contain mainly i -ephedrine and that in small amount, but better results are recorded for two species already referred to and which are available in Sardinia, viz. E. vulgaris Rich and E. nebrodensis. ... 

American ephedras are devoid of alkaloids (121-127), with the exception of E. americana Humb. Bonpl. E. andina Poepp. Endl.) in which Chavez (128) found 0.38% of ephedrine. In the Southwestern states of the United States experiments have been carried out to acclimatize imported species (129-133). 

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