Rhododendron ponticum
Rhododendron ponticum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Genus: | Rhododendron |
Species: | R. ponticum
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Binomial name | |
Rhododendron ponticum | |
Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Rhododendron ponticum, called common rhododendron or pontic rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the Rhododendron genus of the heath family Ericaceae. It is native to the Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe and the Caucasus region in northern West Asia.
Description
R. ponticum is a dense,
It has two subspecies:
Image | Name | Distribution |
---|---|---|
R. p. baeticum (Boiss. & Reut.) Hand.-Mazz. | Found in central and southern Portugal and southern Spain (in the Province of Cádiz).[2] | |
R. p. ponticum | Found around the southern |
And a
Distribution and habitat
The species has two
The range in the Iberian Peninsula is limited to mountain ranges, the
Though the common rhododendron was present in Great Britain prior to the most recent ice age, it did not recolonise afterwards and the modern ecology of the island developed without it. Its presence today in Great Britain is due to humans introducing it, and it easily naturalises and becomes a pest in some situations, often covering whole hillsides (especially in Snowdonia and the western Scotland). In the British Isles, it colonises moorlands, uplands, shady woodlands (alongside escaped laurels and the native holly) and in areas of acid soils.[6]
Historical range
It was noted by the botanist
Cultivation and uses
Honey produced with pollen from the flowers of this plant can be quite poisonous, causing severe hypotension and bradycardia in humans if consumed in sufficient quantities, due to toxic diterpenes (grayanotoxins).[8] This poisonous honey plays a significant part in the 2023 film A Haunting in Venice.
Sap from a freshly cut branch can be used to treat toothaches.[9]
Invasive species
Suckering of the root, together with its abundant seed production, has led to it becoming an invasive species over much of western Europe and in parts of New Zealand. Rhododendron control is a key element in nature conservation in those areas.[10] Conservation organisations in Britain now believe R. ponticum has become "a severe problem" in the native
A study
Identification difficulties
Recent efforts to manage the spread of Rhododendron ponticum in the United Kingdom has led to some controversy, particularly within the grounds of
See also
- Catawbiense hybrid – hybrid with R. ponticum
References
- ^ a b "Rhododendron ponticum L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Infraspecific Taxon Details : Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum (Boiss. & Reuter) Hand.-Mazz". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Infraspecific Taxon Details : Rhododendron ponticum subsp. ponticum". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ "Infraspecific Taxon Details : Rhododendron ponticum var. heterophyllum R. Ansin". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ "A adelfeira de Monchique". University of Évora. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ a b Cross, JR (1975). "Rhododendron ponticum L.". Journal of Ecology. 63 (1): 345–364.
- ^ Alice M. Coats, Garden Shrubs and Their Histories (1964) 1992, s.v. "Rhododendron"; http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/rhododen.htm#Introduction%20to%20Britain .
- ISBN 978-0-8493-3778-9.
- PMID 18638535.
- ^ "New flora and fauna for old". The Economist. 2000-12-21. Archived from the original on 2001-07-28. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
- ^ "Rhododendron: A killer of the Countryside". Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust. 2004. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- ^ "BREAKTHROUGH IN BATTLE AGAINST PROBLEM PONTICUM". Forestry Commission. 30 July 2004. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- .
- PMID 32480536.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Milne, R.I. and Abbott, R.J., 2000. Origin and evolution of invasive naturalized material of Rhododendron ponticum L. in the British Isles. Molecular Ecology, 9(5), pp. 541–556.
External links
- Flora Europaea: Rhododendron ponticum
- Rhododendron ponticum is the emblem and symbol of Bulgaria's most exotic National Park – The Strandja mountains
- "Rhododendron ponticum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- Centre for Conservation Strategy: Rhododendron ponticum in Britain
- Danish Rhododendron Society: Rhododendron ponticum in Europe