Rhododendron arboreum
Rhododendron arboreum
Safety & Hazards
All parts of the plant (including the leaves, flowers and pollen) contain greater or lesser amounts of the toxic compound andromedotoxin (also known as grayanotoxin) [ 51 Title Flowers of the Himalayas. Publication Author Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Publisher Oxford Universtiy Press Year 1984 ISBN - Description A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses. , 240 Title Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Publication Author Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Publisher Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. Year 1986 ISBN - Description Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader. , 1667 Title Rhododendron Species and Their Uses with Special Reference to Himalayas - A Review Publication Assam University Journal of Science & Technology: Biological and Environmental Sciences, Vol 7 Number 1 pp 161-167, 2011 Author Bhattacharyya D. Publisher Year 2011 ISBN 0975-2773 Description A useful breif guide to the uses of Rhododendron species in the Himalayas , 1668 Title Grayanotoxin Poisoning: ‘Mad Honey Disease’ and Beyond Publication Cardiovasc Toxicol (2012) 12:208-215 Author Jansen S.A. et al Website https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-012-9162-2 Publisher Year 2012 ISBN Description An in-depth review of the literature on the toxic effects of a toxin widely found in the family Ericaceae ]. Rarely lethal to humans (and used medicinally in some herbal disciplines), this compound causes dose-dependant overstimulation of the central nervous system with symptoms including various cardiovascular effects (mainly low blood pressure and cardiac rhythm disorders); nausea and vomiting; and a change in consciousness. The effects commence shortly after ingestion and last around two days. These effects are also transferred to honey made from the nectar of the flowers. In some parts of the world bees are used to deliberately produce a honey rich in andromedotoxin which is then eaten for its supposed medicinal, hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac effects. In contrast to humans, many other creatures are more susceptible to the toxin and it has sometimes proved lethal to grazing animals and household pets. Some forms of honeybees are also killed by the toxin (resistant forms of the bee are used for honey production). Bumblebees are not affected, however, and are also more efficient in pollinating rhododendron flowers, so one theory is that the toxin is produced by the plant in order to favour the bumblebee and improve fertilization rates[ 1668 Title Grayanotoxin Poisoning: ‘Mad Honey Disease’ and Beyond Publication Cardiovasc Toxicol (2012) 12:208-215 Author Jansen S.A. et al Website https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-012-9162-2 Publisher Year 2012 ISBN Description An in-depth review of the literature on the toxic effects of a toxin widely found in the family Ericaceae ].
Botanical Description
Rhododendron arboreum is a much-branched evergreen shrub or a tree with a wide crown; it usually grows from 5 - 20 metres tall, though can range from 1 - 30 metres. The bole is generally short[ 146 Title A Manual of Indian Timbers. Publication Author Gamble. J. S. Publisher Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Year 1972 ISBN - Description First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader. , 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials - the flowers and bark are ingredients of commercial cosmetic preparations. The flowers are sold in local markets and used as offerings in temples[ 272 Title Plants and People of Nepal Publication Author Manandhar. N. P. Publisher Timber Press. Oregon. Year 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6 Description Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses. ]. The plant can be used as a pioneer species for restoring native woodland and is often grown as an ornamental in gardens. Rhododendron arboreum has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].