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The Muzei ma huang (Ephedra equisetina) belongs to Ephedraceae (the Ephedra family). It is an evergreen shrub that is distributed in northern China and Mongolia. It grows in dry uplands in sandy or gravelly areas and grows 1 to 1.5 m tall. It is dioecious. Small, degenerated, scale-like leaves are attached to the nodes of the stem. It produces yellow flowers in the spring, and the female plant produces small red fruits in the fall. These fruits are sweet and edible. In Chinese, it is called "木賊麻黄" (mu zei ma huang).
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