Ledum groenlandicum : Labrador-tea

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)

Genera: Ledum (Labrador-tea) (Gk. From 'ledon' the Greek name for a genus of plants with simmilar leaves and aroma)

Species: groenlandicum (of Greenland)

Synonym(s): Rhododendron groenlandicum

English Name(s):

Labrador-tea, Hudson Bay Tea, Muskeg Tea, Bog Tea

First Nation Names:

lidii maskig (Gwichya) masgit (Teetlit)=muskeg tea

Structure:

• Branchlets reddish, villous-tomentos (fuzzy).
• Low, much branched, strongly aromatic shrub.
• Erect shrubs 30-80 cm high.

Leaves:

• Simple (not compound or lobed).
• Glabrous (hairless) above, densely rusty-hairy below.
• Evergreen, alternately arranged.
• Margins entire (smooth) and revolute (rolled under).
• 2-5 cm long by 0.5-1.5 cm wide.
• Oblong to lance-oblong or eliptic in shape, coming to a blunt point..

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers perfect (bisexual) and regular (symetrical).
• Pedicels (flower stalks) rusty-pubescent (hairy).
• Calyx (sepals) small, 5-toothed; Petals white, 5, distinct (not united).
• Flowers in terminal umbel-like clusters.
• Ovary 5 loculed (chambered).
• Stamens (male parts) 8-10.
• Calyx (sepals) 1 mm long, sometimes with glands, margins minutely white-ciliate (margin hiars).
• Corolla (petals) 10-12mm wide, white.
• Pedicels (flower stalks) with a fine white pubescence (hiars) mixed with sessile (not stalked) glands.

Seed:

• Fruit are dry capsules
• Capsules 4.5-6.5 mm long, glandular (with glands).
• Pedicels (flower stalks) bend sharply when in seed.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Ledum decumbens (Dwarf Labrador-tea) is verry simmilar but usually of smaller stature, usually found in different habitat, and the leaves are always much smaller.

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Flower from lateJune to mid-July.
• Leaves are evergreen.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Peaty soils in bogs, muskegs, woods and meadows.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

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Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

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