▁and ▁leaf ▁structure ▁and ▁organization . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁Robert ▁A . ▁Price ▁class ified ▁E .   alt iss ima ▁in ▁section ▁E ph ed ra ▁without ▁recogn izing ▁a ▁tribe . ▁ ▁Th re at ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁plant ▁having ▁such ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁location , ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁specific ▁major ▁thre ats . ▁This ▁plant ▁was ▁last ▁ass essed ▁by ▁IU CN ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁with ▁a ▁least ▁concerned ▁rating . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁non - con c ern ed ▁attitude ▁toward ▁the ▁end anger ment ▁of ▁the ▁species , ▁no ▁se eds ▁have ▁been ▁collected ▁as ▁an ▁ex ▁situ ▁conservation ▁measure . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁to ▁occur ▁in ▁any ▁protected ▁areas . ▁ ▁Medic inal ▁uses ▁ ▁The ▁members ▁of ▁this ▁genus ▁have ▁al kal oid ▁e ph ed r ine ▁which ▁are ▁integral ▁in ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁ast h ma ▁and ▁other ▁related ▁resp ir atory ▁issues . By ▁using ▁the ▁entire ▁plant ▁and ▁not ▁just ▁the ▁stem ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁observed , ▁as ▁compared ▁to ▁isolated ▁e ph ed r ine , ▁to ▁have ▁few ▁side ▁effects . ▁This ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁treat ▁sympt oms ▁not ▁c ure ▁resp ir atory ▁issues . ▁Young ▁plants ▁have ▁the ▁best ▁pot ency ▁if ▁ing ested ▁raw ▁while ▁older ▁plants ▁are ▁best ▁to ▁be ▁d ried ▁and ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁tea . ▁ ▁Vari eties ▁E ph ed ra ▁alt iss ima