Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Rhododendron campanulatum D. Don


Family : Ericaceae

Description
An evergreen shrub or a small tree, 4-6 m in height, up to 90 cm in girth. Bark thin, cinnamon-coloured or grey, smooth, peeling off in thin, papery flakes; leaves elliptic or ovate, leathery, 7-15 cm x 3-6 cm, undersurface with rusty-brown tomentum; flowers white, in various shades of purple or pink, spotted within, in few-flowered corymbs; capsules cylindric, more or less curved; seeds linear-oblong, compressed.

Habitat
It grows on the stony alpine slopes and ledges at altitudes of 12,000 to 14,500 feet.

Parts Used : Leaf , flower, wood and twig

Herb Effects
Hypotensive (EtOH leaf extract) and toxic to livestock (leaf).

Active Ingredients
Quercetin (flower and leaf); myricetin (flower); campanulin, ursolic acid, epi-friedelanol, friedelin and amyrin (leaf).

Medicinal Use
In rheumatism, sciatica and syphilis (leaf); used as a snuff in the treatment of colds and headache (leaves); used in the treatment of phthisis and chronic fevers (dried twigs and wood).

Reference

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