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

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.

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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==Cultivation==

| name = ''Rhododendron'' subsect. ''Ledum''

 

| image = Bagno zwyczajne Ledum palustre.jpg

===Propagation===

| image_width = 240px

{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->

| image_caption = ''Rhododendron tomentosum'' (''Ledum palustre'')

| ordo = [[Ericales]]

| familia = [[Ericaceae]]

| genus = ''[[Rhododendron]]''

| subsectio = '''''Ledum'''''

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision =  

}}

'''''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'''.

{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->

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'''''.

'''''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}}.

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.

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}}.

;Species

;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

*''Ledum columbianum'' = ''Rhododendron × columbianum'' (''R. groenlandicum'' × ''R. neoglandulosum'')

*''Ledum columbianum'' = ''Rhododendron × columbianum'' (''R. groenlandicum'' × ''R. neoglandulosum'')

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.

''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."

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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Ledum grows together with some poisonous plants such as [[Bog-laurel]] and [[Bog-rosemary]].

Image:Upload.png| photo 1

==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

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

 

<!--- 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

<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->

 

<!--- 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]

6. Kihlman, Bengt A. (2004) Hybrids Between Ledums and Lepidote Rhododendrons. Journal of the American Rhododendron Society 58(2):74-81

[[Category:Categorize]]

[[Category:Ericaceae]]

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