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Ledum palustre L.

Marsh labrador tea (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Ericaceae > Ledum

Characteristics

Shrubs erect or creeping, to 50 cm tall. Branches slender; young branches densely covered with rust-colored wool; terminal buds conspicuous, ovoid, scales densely rufous-woolly. Leaf blade linear, linear-lanceolate, or narrowly oblong, 1–8 × 0.1–1.5 cm, abaxially densely rufous-hairy or woolly, sometimes also white-pubescent, with raised midvein, adaxially dark green and wrinkled, margin strongly or slightly recurved. Inflorescence many-flowered; pedicels thin. Calyx lobes 5, ovate, 5–8 mm, persistent. Corolla milky white, 5–25 mm, densely rufous-woolly. Stamens 10; filaments pilose at base. Style persistent, 2–4 mm. Capsule ovoid, 3.5–4 mm. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Jul–Aug.
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An evergreen shrub. It grows 0.3-1.2 m high. The young shoots are covered in red-brown hairs. The leaves are oblong and dark green with their edges curled inwards. The leaves have red-brown hairs underneath. The flowers are white and are in clusters at the ends of branches.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 2.0
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 1.0
Root system fibrous-root
Rooting depth (meter) 0.3
Root diameter (meter) 0.4
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows in conifer forests and wet meadows between 400-1,400 m above sea level in north China. It suits hardiness zones 2-8.
Light 3-8
Soil humidity 3-9
Soil texture 1-5
Soil acidity 1-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 2-5

Usage

CAUTION: The leaves are dried and used for tea. The aerial parts are added to beer and liqueurs.
Uses beverage environmental use essential oil material medicinal spice tea
Edible flowers leaves
Therapeutic use Panacea (bark), Venereal Aid (bark), Unspecified (leaf), Antirheumatic (External) (leaf), Antirheumatic (Internal) (leaf), Blood Medicine (leaf), Cold Remedy (leaf), Cough Medicine (leaf), Dermatological Aid (leaf), Disinfectant (leaf), Gastrointestinal Aid (leaf), Misc. Disease Remedy (leaf), Panacea (leaf), Respiratory Aid (leaf), Throat Aid (leaf), Vertigo Medicine (leaf), Poison (unspecified), Bronchitis (unspecified), Cold (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Lactogogue (unspecified), Narcotic (unspecified), Pectoral (unspecified), Whitlow (unspecified), Abortifacient (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Pulmonary (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) 30 - 60
Germination temperacture (C°) 12 - 18
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -30
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Ledum palustre world distribution map, present in Canada, China, France, and United States of America

Conservation status

Ledum palustre threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:279380-2
WFO ID wfo-0000364560
COL ID 3SWXD
BDTFX ID 81302
INPN ID 788765
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Ledum palustre Rhododendron palustre Rhododendron tomentosum Ledum palustre var. palustre Ledum palustre var. angustum

Lower taxons

Ledum palustre subsp. groenlandicum Ledum palustre subsp. decumbens
WorldFloraDB 2024