Showing posts with label face pain (trigeminal neuralgia). Show all posts
Showing posts with label face pain (trigeminal neuralgia). Show all posts

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Rreforestation with Rhododendron and Medicinal Uses of the Plant


By Liliana Usvat
Blog147 -365




The name Rhododendron comes from the greek words "rodon" which means "rose" and "dendron" which means "tree", hence Rose Tree.

Rhododendrons are referred to as the King of Shrubs since they are regarded by many as the best flowering evergreen plants for the temperate landscape
 
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1,000 species of woody plants in the heath family, either evergreen or deciduous. Most species have showy flowers.

Azaleas make up two subgenera of Rhododendron. They are distinguished from "true" rhododendrons by having only five anthers per flower.

Distribution

Species of the genus Rhododendron are native to Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. The highest species diversity is found in the Himalayas from Uttarakhand, Nepal and Sikkim to Yunnan and Sichuan, with other significant areas of diversity in the mountains of Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Rhododendron lives on moist open slopes, hillsides, ledges of cliffs and in thickets at elevations of 3000 - 4500, occasionally to 5000 metres.

Culinary

The rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal, where the flower is considered edible and enjoyed for its sour taste. The pickled flower can last for months and the flower juice is also marketed. The flower, fresh or dried, is added to fish curry in the belief that it will soften the bones. The juice of rhododendron flower is used to make a squash called burans(named after the flower)in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. It is admired for its distinctive flavor and color.

The flowers are used as a tea substitute.

Basic Requirements
 





  1. Rhododendrons must have a constant supply of moisture. 
  2. Rhododendrons must never sit in stagnant water. Roots submerged in poorly oxygenated water will likely die, though a plant may survive through better drained surface roots. 
  3. Rhododendrons must be grown in an acid medium (pH 5-6) that is coarse enough for the roots to have access to needed oxygen.
  4. Plant Rhododendrons in spring or fall.
  5. Space plants 2 to 6 feet apart, depending on the expected mature size of the plant.Dig a hole only as deep as the root ball and 2 to 3 times as wide.
  6. Rhododendrons need an acidic soil. If your soil is in very poor condition, amend the soil you've removed from the hole with a small amount of compost. 
History

The first species available for garden use , in the mid-1600s, was R. hirsutum, the hairy alpine rose, which may grow as high as 1 metre (3 feet). Others range from matlike dwarf species only 10 cm (4 inches) high (R. prostratum, from Yunnan, China) to trees in excess of 12 metres (R. arboreum, R. barbatum, and R. giganteum, from Asia). Leaves are thick and leathery and are evergreen in all but the azalea species, some of which are deciduous.

Large-leaved species (and their hybrids) from the Himalayan region have long been popular ornamental plants in temperate areas without extreme winter cold. Rhodora (R. canadense), from northeastern North America, bears rose-purple flowers before the leaves unfurl. In the British Isles, R. ponticum has become a serious weed. Introduced in the late 18th century from Spain, Portugal, and, to a lesser extent, Turkey, this rhododendron forms impenetrable thickets in which virtually nothing else grows.

Medicinal uses
(anthopogon hypenanthum)

The stems and leaves of the sub-species R. anthopogon hypenanthum are used in Tibetan herbalism. They have a sweet, bitter and astringent taste and they promote heat. They are
  • antitussive, 
  • diaphoretic and 
  •  digestive and are used to 
  • treat lack of appetite, 
  • coughing and 
  • various skin disorders. 
  • In Nepal, the leaves are boiled and the vapour inhaled to treat coughs and colds.  
  • The flowers of the sub-species R. anthopogon hypenanthum are also used in Tibetan medicine, having a sweet taste and neutral potency. They are
  •  antitussive, 
  • febrifuge and 
  • tonic, being used in the 
  • treatment of inflammations,
  •  lung disorders and 
  • general weakening of the body. 
  • They are also used when water and locality are not agreeable due to a change of environment.
( Rhododendron arboreum)
  • Rhododendron arboreum’s nectar is brewed to make wine and is effective in diarrhoea and dysentery. Its Corolla is administered in case of fishbone stuck in the gullet. Snuff made from the bark of the tree is excellent cold reliever. Young leaves can be processed into paste and applied on the forehead to alleviate headaches.
    (Rhdodendron_campanulatum)
  • Rhdodendron campanulatum is also used as snuff and is effective in case of cold and hermicrania. Also the species is used in curing chronic rheumatism, syphilis. The dried twigs and wood are used by Nepalese against phthisis and chronic fever. On being burnt its smoke causes irritation.
   (Rhododendron cinnabarium)
  • Rhododendron cinnabarium is used in making flavoring agents, jam etc. The fried corolla of the species is liked by local inhabitants in Sikkim which taste delicacy while it is poisonous to animals.
  (Rhododendron setosum)
  • Rhododendron setosum is used in making of aromatic oil, perfumery and cosmetics.
 
  (Rhododendron_thomsonii)
  • Extract from the Rhododendron thomsonii is used as natural insecticides as in valley of North Sikkim, while it is toxic/poisonous to human beings.
  • Rusty-leaved rhododendron contains chemicals that lower blood pressure.
  •  It also contains chemicals that interfere with the electrical activity of nerves, which at low doses might relieve pain associated with some conditions, but at higher doses can result in poisoning.
  • Despite serious safety concerns, rusty-leaved rhododendron is used in combination with other herbs for painful conditions such as gout, muscle and joint pain (rheumatism), nerve pain (neuralgia), sciatica, face pain (trigeminal neuralgia), muscle pain, migraine, headaches, and rib pain.
Religious
Rhododendron lepidotum and Rhododendron anthopogum’s leaves are used as incense in Buddhist Monasteries. The flowers are used as offerings to pay homage and for decoration purpose at social occasions.

Reforestation using Rhododendron

Rhododendron can be uses in reforestation and stimulate local economy trough echo tourism.