I have several herb books that refer to the native Ephedra as Mormon tea. Yep, the early pioneers were given the tea to drink as a supplement to their coffee and regular tea by the native Indians. When the coffee supplies that were brought with the settlers ran out and none was expected for some time, this plant was a natural substitute and readily available. There is also another plant that is indiginous to the Great Basin and that is Echinacea. It is also called Indian Cone Flower. These are tall plants that look like big daisies with the purple cones in the middle. The early pioneers were taught to use this one also as a tea to help them combat many illnesses. Works wonders now for a cold ;) Terri At 07:29 PM 6/17/98 -0400, Robert Speakman wrote: >Very interesting--I wonder if the pioneers recognized that this tea--if it did come from Ephedra--is a stimulant. Perhaps the pick-me-up theyy may have gotten from it would have been more of a reason to drink it than just for the taste. It would make sense also, if they were trying to give up their [caffeine] tea, to find a substitute that maybe unknowingly relieved the caffeine craving. > >All conjecture and speculation, of course! I would love it if anyone could find other sources or references to this Ephedra plant use. > >Tschuss! (I presume Diane must be German/Swiss--how do get umlauts on your keyboard?) > >Robert > > >------------------ Reply Separator -------------------- >Originally From: "diane epperson" <editorz@inreach.com> >Subject: [HANDCART-L] Mormon tea >Date: 06/17/98 04:07pm > > >Here in the desert, we have a local plant called, variously, Mormon, >Mexican, Squaw, or Desert Tea. It is a species of *Ephedra* and quite >beautiful. The natives and early settlers brewed it as a drink by steeping >the stems in boiling water. It also was used as a tonic for kidney >ailments, to purify the blood, and for colds, stomach disorders, and >ulcers. > >I presume the appellation "Mormon" tea was added to the list of names when >the Mormon Batallion came through here in 1846-47 to blaze a wagon road to >California from Council Bluffs. I live quite near the trail, now known as >the Southern Emigrant Trail, and this plant is abundantly available. > >One day I decided to try it, so I picked a bunch of stalks and took it home >to make sun tea. For additional flavoring, I added some bright red ocotillo >blossoms. It was pretty bland but had a refreshing taste--especially >useful, I should think, to improve the taste of plain water that is less >than desirable. > >Tschüss >__________________________________________________________ >Diane Epperson >--from sunny Ocotillo in the flaming Yuha Desert of Southern California >editorz@inreach.com > >"Eala Fria Fresena!" -- "Lever Dod As Slaav!" > >Researching . . . >FLESNER, EBER, BUSS, ELLERMEIER of Illinois aus Deutschland >LEWIS, COLEMAN, HART of New Jersey >ANDERSEN, EDMISTON, SNOW of Utah >. . . und mein rottweiler WORF (Canis klingon) > > >