Rhododendron groenlandicum
Rhododendron groenlandicum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Genus: | Rhododendron |
Subgenus: | Rhododendron subg. Rhododendron |
Section: | Rhododendron sect. Rhododendron |
Subsection: | R. subsect. Ledum |
Species: | R. groenlandicum
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Binomial name | |
Rhododendron groenlandicum | |
Distribution of Rhododendrom groenlandicum | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Rhododendron groenlandicum (bog Labrador tea, muskeg tea, swamp tea, or in northern Canada, Hudson's Bay tea;[2] formerly Ledum groenlandicum or Ledum latifolium)[3] is a flowering shrub with white flowers and evergreen leaves that is used to make a herbal tea.
Description
It is a low
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Illustration by William Miller
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Specimen in Newfoundland and Labrador
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Dry leaves
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Underside of leaves
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Leaves and buds
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Close-up of flowers
Distribution and habitat
It is reported from Greenland, as well as from every province and territory in Canada and in the north of the United States including the Northeast (New England, New York, Pennsylvania), the Northwest (Oregon, Washington, Idaho), parts of the Upper Midwest (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota) and Alaska.[5]
It grows in bogs, muskegs, and open tundra, as well as occasionally on wet shores and rocky alpine slopes.[6][7]
Toxicity
The plant contains toxic alkaloids which are poisonous to livestock and may be toxic to humans in concentrated doses.[7]
Uses
The leaves are regularly used to make beverages and medicines—most commonly a fragrant tea—by many Native American tribes such as the Quinault and Makah, the Potawatomi, the Anishinaabe, the Iroquois, and First Nations tribes in Canada.[7] When European explorers arrived, they soon adopted these uses as well, dubbing it "Indian plant tea".[7] During the American Revolutionary War, it was used as a substitute for tea.[7]
It is sometimes grown as an ornamental shrub.[7]
Its essential oil is popular in aromatherapy.[7]
See also
- Rhododendron (disambiguation)
- List of Rhododendron species
- List of rhododendron diseases
- List of Award of Garden Merit rhododendrons
References
- ^ "Rhododendron groenlandicum". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ISBN 0-394-50432-1.
- JSTOR 2419016.
- ^ Peterson, R. T. and McKenny, M. A Field Guide to Wildflowers Northeastern and North-central North America.
- ^ "Rhododendron groenlandicum". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- JSTOR 2419016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Anderson, M. (2011). Plant Guide for bog Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum) (PDF). Greensboro, NC.: USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Plant Data Team.