ephedra; mahuang
Refers to plants of the genus Ephedra, especially Ephedra sinica, used in traditional Chinese medicine. The term 麻黄 is primarily used in Kampo and herbal contexts.
Ephedra is known as a raw material for Kampo medicine.
Ephedra is cultivated in this region.
Standard kanji spelling for the plant Ephedra and its medicinal use.
Katakana spelling is common in botanical and pharmaceutical contexts.
The Japanese word 麻黄 (まおう) is a direct borrowing from Chinese 麻黃 (máhuáng), referring to the Ephedra plant. The kanji literally mean 'hemp yellow', likely describing the plant's appearance.