Rhododendron cinnabarinum

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 ]. The smoke of leaves and wood causes inflammation of the eyes and face[ 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 ].