Rhododendron arboreum (Lal Brass)
Rhododendron arboreum – Lal brass (click to enlarge)
| Local name | Lal Brass, also known as burans or gurans |
| Botanical name | Rhododendron arboreum |
| Family | Ericaceae |
| Description | It is found at an altitude of 1500-3000m and leaves are oblong in shape. Flowers are red in colour. |
| Distribution | Rhododendron arboreum, is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a showy display of bright red flowers. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It is commonly found in all the valleys of GHNP |
| Flowers & Fruits | May-June |
| Uses | The flower powder snuffed to stop nose bleeding, flower juice is given to children to cure blood dysentery. Wood used for fuel and charcoal. It is popularly believed that if some spines or pieces of fish bone get struck up in the mouth of a person those spines are removed by eating the Rhodendron flame. Flowers are presented as offerings in the hill temples. Flowers are sold as a vegetable for making chutneys with Pomegranate seeds and flowers are also used to make squashes by HPMC on large scale and is believed to help control the blood pressure of human beings. |