Ledol Explained

Ledol is a poisonous sesquiterpene that can cause cramps, paralysis, and delirium. Caucasian peasants used Rhododendron plants for these effects in shamanistic rituals.^[1]

Sources

Ledol is found in labrador tea,^[2] an herbal tea (not a true tea) made from three closely related species:

Rhododendron tomentosum – Northern Labrador tea, previously Ledum palustre
Rhododendron groenlandicum – Bog Labrador tea, previously Ledum groenlandicum or Ledum latifolium
Rhododendron columbianum – Western Labrador tea, or trapper's tea, previously Ledum glandulosum

Ledol is also found in the essential oil of priprioca at a concentration of around 4%.^[3]

Ledol is also found to varying concentrations in the following plants:^[4]

Book: Andrews . Steve . Steve Andrews . Rindsberg . Katrina . April 2001 . Herbs of the Northern Shaman: A Guide to Mind-Altering Plants of the Northern Hemisphere . English . Loompanics Unlimited . April 2001 . 1-55950-211-8. 780276732 .
10.1002/jsfa.6889 . Labrador tea – the aromatic beverage and spice: A review of origin, processing and safety . 2015 . Dampc . Anna . Luczkiewicz . Maria . Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture . 95 . 8 . 1577–1583 . 25156477 . 2015JSFA...95.1577D .
Web site: Priprioca Essential Oil - Óleos Essenciais O Guia do Brasil . Azambuja . Wagner . Óleos Essenciais . Brazil . English . 12 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170913135137/https://www.oleosessenciais.org/priprioca-essential-oil/ . 13 September 2017 . dead .
Duke. James A.. 1992. Handbook of phytochemical constituents of GRAS herbs and other economic plants. Boca Raton, FL. CRC Press. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 1992-2016. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. 10.15482/USDA.ADC/1239279. 2017-09-13. 2021-09-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210930142247/https://phytochem.nal.usda.gov/phytochem/chemicals/show/11299?et=. dead.