OBJECTIVE： To evaluate the quality of Ephedrae herba from different production areas. METHODS： The sweating pharmacological model of rat was set up； using sweating volume as index， the quality of 26 E. herba from different production areas were evaluated. 12 rats were randomly divided into high-dose and low-dose groups （11.25， 9 g/kg， dose spacing was 1 ∶ 0.8）， and they were given relevant medicine intragastrically. The sweating biological potency of reference medicinal material （Ephedra sinica） was 10 U/g， and that of E. herba from different production areas were calculated according to biometric statistical method stated in Chinese Pharmacopoeia； the contents of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in E. herba were determined by HPLC； cluster analysis was conducted for the biological potency value of 26 samples from different production areas. RESULTS： The biological potency values of 26 samples from different production areas were 7.08-22.09 U/g； the sweating biological potency value of E. sinica from Gansu Gulang was the highest， and that of Ephedra intermedia from Gansu Wushan was the lowest； the average potency value from E. sinica was higher than that from E. intermedia， and the change trend of biological potency value was basically same as that of total content of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine， but both were significantly uncorrelated. Results of cluster analysis showed that biological potency values of 17 in 26 samples （65.38％） were higher than that of reference medicinal materials； those of 4 （15.38％） were higher than 9.55 U/g， close to that of reference medicinal material. CONCLUSIONS： More than 80％ of E. herba from different production areas are qualified.