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The dried root and rhizome of Ephedra sinica or E. intermedia (Ephedraceae). Enters the Lung channel. Sweet, astringent, and neutral, it exclusively reaches the muscle layer to secure the interstices and check sweating, making it the key herb for spontaneous sweating and night sweats. It provides the most celebrated example of 'one plant, two uses with opposite effects' in Chinese materia medica: the stem (ma huang) promotes sweating, while the root stops it. Commonly combined with mu li, huang qi, and fu xiao mai in Mu Li San.
固表止汗，为临床常用形式
煎服3–9g；外用可研末扑身。古方牡蛎散用至30g（三钱以上）配伍牡蛎、黄芪、浮小麦同煎。
Reference range for non-pregnant adults. Not a personalized prescription. Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric use require specialist supervision.
Protective guidance only — when to avoid or use with caution. This block deliberately omits pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric dosing: any such use must be managed by a qualified TCM practitioner or appropriate specialist.
有表邪者忌用——麻黄根专于固表敛汗，若表邪未解、汗为驱邪之途时误用之，可致闭门留寇，使邪气内传。本品功效与麻黄茎相反：麻黄发汗，麻黄根止汗，临床必严格区分，绝不可互代。
【安全重点】麻黄根为麻黄科植物草麻黄、中麻黄的干燥根及根茎，与其地上部分的麻黄茎（ma_huang）为同一植物的不同药用部位，药性与功效完全相反——麻黄茎辛温发汗解表，麻黄根甘平固表止汗。临床处方及配药时必须严格区分，不可代换。本品几乎不含麻黄碱（ephedrine），无心血管兴奋作用，但仍应避免用于表邪未解者。
麻黄发汗之气，驶不能御；而根节止汗，效如影响，物理之妙，不可测度者如此。
草部·麻黄
@misc{bencaodian-ma-huang-gen,
author = {{Bencaodian Editorial}},
title = {Má Huáng Gēn 麻黄根 (Ephedra Root) — Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma (Ephedra sinica, root)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine},
url = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/ma-huang-gen},
urldate = {2026-04-17},
note = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}© Bencaodian Editorial · Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
麻黄根主含麻黄根碱（ephedradines）、麻黄宁等大环精胺类生物碱及鞣质、黄酮等，药理示其降压、抑汗及收敛作用，与麻黄茎所含麻黄碱类拟交感作用完全不同。
Ephedra root contains macrocyclic spermine alkaloids (ephedradines A–D, maokonine), tannins and flavonoids; pharmacology shows hypotensive, antihidrotic (sweat-suppressing) and astringent effects — pharmacologically distinct from the sympathomimetic ephedrine of the stem.
Bensky 明确区分麻黄茎（发汗）与麻黄根（止汗），强调二者不可互代，并将牡蛎散列为经典止汗方。
Bensky explicitly distinguishes Ma Huang stem (diaphoretic) from Ma Huang Gen root (antihidrotic), emphasizing they are not interchangeable, and lists Mu Li San as the classical sweat-arresting formula.
Chen & Chen 引述药理研究示麻黄根碱具降压作用，与麻黄碱升压作用相反。
Chen & Chen cite pharmacology studies showing ephedradines have hypotensive activity — opposite to the pressor effect of stem ephedrine.
《中国药典》将麻黄根与麻黄分别立条，规定其来源、性状与功效截然不同，处方时须严格区分。
Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists Ma Huang Gen and Ma Huang as separate monographs with distinct sources, characteristics and indications; prescriptions must strictly distinguish them.
This section is provided for academic reference only and does not constitute medical advice.