Name: Rhododendron rusty
Poisonous, guarded!
Heather – Ericaceae.
Popular names: alpine rose, mountain dope.
Pharmacy name: rusty rhododendron leaves – Rhododendri ferruginei folium (formerly: Folia Rhododendri ferruginei).
Botanical description. Evergreen shrub up to 1 m in height. The leaves are lanceolate, light green on the underside, with glandular dots. The flowers are very showy, rusty red. Grows in the mountains (Alps, Pyrenees).
Active ingredients: tannins, an essential oil that lowers blood pressure, and andromedotoxin.
Application. It is used to purify the blood, also as a diuretic, for gout and rheumatism.