Difference between revisions of "Ledum"

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{{Taxobox
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
| color = lightgreen
 
 
| name = ''Rhododendron'' subsect. ''Ledum''
 
| name = ''Rhododendron'' subsect. ''Ledum''
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| common_names =    <!--- if multiple, list all, if none, leave blank -->
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| growth_habit = ?  <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
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| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
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| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
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| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
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| water = ?  <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| sunset_zones =    <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
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| color = IndianRed
 
| image = Bagno zwyczajne Ledum palustre.jpg
 
| image = Bagno zwyczajne Ledum palustre.jpg
| image_width = 240px
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| image_width = 240px   <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
 
| image_caption = ''Rhododendron tomentosum'' (''Ledum palustre'')
 
| image_caption = ''Rhododendron tomentosum'' (''Ledum palustre'')
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| regnum = Plantae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| classis = Magnoliopsida
| ordo = [[Ericales]]
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| ordo = Ericales
| familia = [[Ericaceae]]
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| familia = Ericaceae
| genus = ''[[Rhododendron]]''
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| genus = Rhododendron subsect. Ledum
| subsectio = '''''Ledum'''''
 
| subdivision_ranks = Species
 
| subdivision =
 
See text.
 
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Inc|
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Ledum (''ledon'', ancient Greek name of Cistus). ''Ericaceae''. Labrador Tea. Ornamental shrubs grown for their handsome white flowers and evergreen foliage.
  
'''''Ledum''''' is a [[genus]] name formerly widely recognised in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Ericaceae]], including 8 species of [[evergreen]] [[shrub]]s native to cool temperate and subarctic regions of the [[Northern Hemisphere]] and commonly known as '''Labrador Tea'''.
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Leaves alternate, short-petioled, entire: flowers rather small, 1/3 - 1/2 in. across, long-pedicelled, in terminal, umbel-like racemes; calyx-lobes and petals 5, spreading; stamens 5-10: caps, nodding, 5-celled, separating from the base into 5 valves, with many minute seeds. Four species in the arctic and cold regions of the northern hemisphere, all found in N. Amer. One of the few ericaceous genera with polypetalous flowers. The leaves. contain a volatile oil, with narcotic properties; the leaves. of ''L. groenlandicum '' are said to have been used during the War of Independence as a substitute for tea, hence the name "Labrador tea."
  
Recent [[Genetics|genetic]] evidence has shown that the species previously treated in this genus are correctly placed in the genus ''[[Rhododendron]]'', where they are now treated as '''''Rhododendron'' subsect. ''Ledum'''''.
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These plants are low, sometimes procumbent, shrubs with evergreen narrow leaves fragrant when bruised, and with handsome white flowers appearing in early summer. They are all hardy North, and well adapted for borders of evergreen shrubberies or for planting in swampy situations. They thrive as well in sunny as in partly shaded situations, and prefer a moist, sandy and peaty soil. Transplanting is easy, if the plants are moved with a sufficient ball of earth. Propagation is by seeds sown in spring in sandy peat and treated like those of azalea and rhododendron, the young plants growing but slowly; increased also by layers and division.
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{{SCH}}
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}}
  
Because some of the species names used in ''Ledum'' could not be used in ''Rhododendron'' (the names already having been used for other species already in this large genus), new names had to be coined for them.
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==Cultivation==
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
;Species
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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==Species==
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'''''Ledum''''' is a [[genus]] name formerly widely recognised in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Ericaceae]], including 8 species of [[evergreen]] [[shrub]]s native to cool temperate and subarctic regions of the [[Northern Hemisphere]] and commonly known as '''Labrador Tea'''{{wp}}.
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Recent [[Genetics|genetic]] evidence has shown that the species previously treated in this genus are correctly placed in the genus ''[[Rhododendron]]'', where they are now treated as '''''Rhododendron'' subsect. ''Ledum'''''{{wp}}.
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 +
;Species{{wp}}
 
The species formerly listed in ''Ledum'', with their current accepted names in ''Rhododendron'', are:
 
The species formerly listed in ''Ledum'', with their current accepted names in ''Rhododendron'', are:
 
*''Ledum decumbens'' = ''[[Rhododendron subarcticum]]'' Harmaja
 
*''Ledum decumbens'' = ''[[Rhododendron subarcticum]]'' Harmaja
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*''Ledum columbianum'' = ''Rhododendron × columbianum'' (''R. groenlandicum'' × ''R. neoglandulosum'')
 
*''Ledum columbianum'' = ''Rhododendron × columbianum'' (''R. groenlandicum'' × ''R. neoglandulosum'')
  
===Uses===
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{{Inc|
The [[Athabascan]]s use it the leaves to prepare a tea-like beverage, hence the common name. It is also a traditional medicine among them for weak blood, colds, tuberculosis, dizziness, stomach problems, heartburn and hangover. Some people chew the raw leaves because they like the taste. Others use Labrador Tea to spice meat by boiling the leaves and branches in water and then soak the meat in the tea. The meat may also be boiled directly in the water with the stems and leaves. This spice is said to be especially good for strong-tasting meat, such as brown bear meat that has a fishy taste.
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''Ledum buxifolium '', Berg (syn. Leiophyllum buxifolium). — L. columbianum. Piper. To 3 ft.: Leaves. glabrous and glandular below, revolute: stamens 5-7: caps, oblong, acutiah. Wash.,Ore. — -L. glandulosam. Nutt. Shrub, to 6 ft.: leaves.oblong or oval, glabrous, glaucous and glandular beneath, not revolute: stamens 10: caps, oval, obtuse. July, Aug. Brit. Col. to Calif.  — ''L. Lyonii'', listed abroad, is undeterminable. It is described as "a lovely shrub for rock-garden, very pretty in bud."
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{{SCH}}
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}}
  
In large doses, Labrador Tea can cause drowsiness, stomach ache, and act as a laxative. Use in moderation. Ledum glandulosum ('Western Labrador Tea', 'Trapper's Tea') becomes toxic if cooked for long periods in a closed container (citation needed). Labrador Tea grows slowly, but, as an evergreen, is available year-round. Users should take care not to over-harvest leaves from any single plant.
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==Gallery==
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{{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery  -->
  
Ledum grows together with some poisonous plants such as [[Bog-laurel]] and [[Bog-rosemary]].
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<gallery>
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Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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Image:Upload.png| photo 3
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</gallery>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
1. Kron, Kathleen A. & Judd, Walter S. (1990) Phylogenetic Relationships within the Rhodoreae (Ericaceae) with Specific Comments on the Placement of ''Ledum'' Systematic Botany (1990), 1S(1): pp. S7-68
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
 
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
2. Harmaja, Harri (1990) New names and nomenclatural combinations in ''Rhododendron'' (Ericaceae) Ann. Bot. Fennici 27:203-204
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
 
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
3. Harmaja, Harri (1991) Taxonomic notes on ''Rhododendron'' subsection Ledum (''Ledum'', Ericaceae), with a key to its species. ''Ann. Bot. Fennici'' 28: 171-173.
 
 
 
[http://www.sekj.org/PDF/anbf35/anbf35-263p.pdf 4. Harmaja, Harri (1999) ''Rhododendron diversipilosum'', comb. nov. (Ericaceae). Ann. Bot. Fennici 35: 263-264]
 
  
[http://www.sekj.org/PDF/anb39-free/anb39-183s.pdf 5. Harmaja, Harri (2002) ''Rhododendron subulatum'', comb. nova (Ericaceae). Ann. Bot. Fennici 39: 183-184]
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==External links==
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*{{wplink}}
  
6. Kihlman, Bengt A. (2004) Hybrids Between Ledums and Lepidote Rhododendrons. Journal of the American Rhododendron Society 58(2):74-81
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Categorize]]
  
[[Category:Ericaceae]]
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<!--  in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions!    -->
[[Category:Herbs]]
 
[[Category:Herbal tea]]
 

Latest revision as of 17:12, 10 July 2009


Rhododendron tomentosum (Ledum palustre)


Plant Characteristics
Origin: ?
Cultivation
Exposure: ?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Scientific Names

Ericaceae >

Rhododendron subsect. Ledum >



Read about Ledum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Ledum (ledon, ancient Greek name of Cistus). Ericaceae. Labrador Tea. Ornamental shrubs grown for their handsome white flowers and evergreen foliage.

Leaves alternate, short-petioled, entire: flowers rather small, 1/3 - 1/2 in. across, long-pedicelled, in terminal, umbel-like racemes; calyx-lobes and petals 5, spreading; stamens 5-10: caps, nodding, 5-celled, separating from the base into 5 valves, with many minute seeds. Four species in the arctic and cold regions of the northern hemisphere, all found in N. Amer. One of the few ericaceous genera with polypetalous flowers. The leaves. contain a volatile oil, with narcotic properties; the leaves. of L. groenlandicum are said to have been used during the War of Independence as a substitute for tea, hence the name "Labrador tea."

These plants are low, sometimes procumbent, shrubs with evergreen narrow leaves fragrant when bruised, and with handsome white flowers appearing in early summer. They are all hardy North, and well adapted for borders of evergreen shrubberies or for planting in swampy situations. They thrive as well in sunny as in partly shaded situations, and prefer a moist, sandy and peaty soil. Transplanting is easy, if the plants are moved with a sufficient ball of earth. Propagation is by seeds sown in spring in sandy peat and treated like those of azalea and rhododendron, the young plants growing but slowly; increased also by layers and division. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

Do you have cultivation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Propagation

Do you have propagation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Pests and diseases

Do you have pest and disease info on this plant? Edit this section!

Species

Ledum is a genus name formerly widely recognised in the family Ericaceae, including 8 species of evergreen shrubs native to cool temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and commonly known as Labrador Teawp.

Recent genetic evidence has shown that the species previously treated in this genus are correctly placed in the genus Rhododendron, where they are now treated as Rhododendron subsect. Ledumwp.

Specieswp

The species formerly listed in Ledum, with their current accepted names in Rhododendron, are:

Hybrids

One natural hybrid also occurs:

  • Ledum columbianum = Rhododendron × columbianum (R. groenlandicum × R. neoglandulosum)


Read about Ledum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Ledum buxifolium , Berg (syn. Leiophyllum buxifolium). — L. columbianum. Piper. To 3 ft.: Leaves. glabrous and glandular below, revolute: stamens 5-7: caps, oblong, acutiah. Wash.,Ore. — -L. glandulosam. Nutt. Shrub, to 6 ft.: leaves.oblong or oval, glabrous, glaucous and glandular beneath, not revolute: stamens 10: caps, oval, obtuse. July, Aug. Brit. Col. to Calif. — L. Lyonii, listed abroad, is undeterminable. It is described as "a lovely shrub for rock-garden, very pretty in bud." CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Gallery

If you have a photo of this plant, please upload it! Plus, there may be other photos available for you to add.

References

External links