Editing Rhododendron (section)

==Uses==
''Rhododendron'' species have long been used in traditional medicine.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Popescu | first1 = R | last2 = Kopp | first2 = B | date = May 2013 | title = The genus Rhododendron: an ethnopharmacological and toxicological review | journal = J Ethnopharmacol | volume = 147 | issue = 1| pages = 42–62 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2013.02.022 | pmid = 23454683}}</ref><ref name="O'Neill_al2017">{{cite journal |last1=O'Neill |first1=A. R.|last2=Badola |first2=H.K. |last3=Dhyani |first3=P. P. |last4=Rana |first4=S. K. |date=2017 |title=Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas |journal=Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=21 |doi=10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9 |pmid=28356115 |pmc=5372287 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Animal studies and ''[[in vitro]]'' research have identified possible anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities which may be due to the antioxidant effects of [[flavonoid]]s or other [[natural phenol|phenolic compound]]s and [[saponin]]s the plant contains.<ref name="aafr">{{cite journal | last = Agarwal | first = S.S. |author2=Sharma Kalpana | title = Anti-inflammatory activity of flowers of ''Rhododendron arboreum'' (SMITH) in rat's hind paw oedema induced by various phlogistic agents | journal = Indian Journal of Pharmacology | volume = 20 | issue = 2 | pages = 86–89 | year = 1988 | url = http://www.ijp-online.com/article.asp?issn=0253-7613;year=1988;volume=20;issue=2;spage=86;epage=89;aulast=Agarwal;type=0}}</ref> Xiong ''et al.'' have found that the root of the plant is able to reduce the activity of [[NF-κB]] in rats.<ref name="erra">{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/S1007-4376(09)60031-9 | title = The effect of root of rhododendron on the activation of NF-κB in a chronic glomerulonephritis rat model |date=January 2009 | last1 = Xiong | first1 = Jing | last2 = Zhu | first2 = Zhonghua | last3 = Liu | first3 = Jianshe | last4 = Wang | first4 = Yang | journal = Journal of Nanjing Medical University | volume = 23 |issue=1 | pages = 73–78}}</ref>

In [[Nepal]], 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.<ref name="Regmi">{{cite book |last=Regmi |first=Puskal Prasad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9jo6AAAAMAAJ |title=An introduction to Nepalese food plants |date=1982 |publisher=Royal Nepal Academy}}</ref>{{rp|51}} The flower, fresh or dried, is added to fish curry in the belief that it will soften the bones.<ref name="Regmi" />{{rp|53}} The juice of rhododendron flower is used to make a [[Squash (drink)|squash]] called burans (named after the flower) in the hilly regions of [[Uttarakhand]]. It is admired for its distinctive flavor and color.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chauhan |first=Narain Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gAQnTAU-3lcC |title=Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Himachal Pradesh |date=1999 |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=9788173870989 |page=355}}</ref>

=== Labrador tea ===
{{main|Labrador tea}}

The [[herbal tea]] called Labrador tea (not a true [[tea]]) is made from one of three closely related species: 
* ''[[Rhododendron tomentosum]]'' (Northern Labrador tea, previously ''[[Ledum palustre]]'')
* ''[[Rhododendron groenlandicum]]'', (Bog Labrador tea, previously ''[[Ledum groenlandicum]]'' or ''[[Ledum latifolium]]'')
* ''[[Rhododendron neoglandulosum]]'', (Western Labrador tea, or trapper's tea, previously ''[[Ledum glandulosum]]'')