Kece? (Labrador Tea) Traditional Cache
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This is the first of a number of caches I hope to do highlighting the culture of the local First Nations.
Kece?, or Labrador Tea, is one of three closely related wetlands plants of the Heath family, used by local First Nations people as a medicinal plant. Western Labrador Tea (Rhododendron neoglandulosum), just like the other two, has strongly aromatic leaves which are smooth on top, often with wrinkled edges, and are fuzzy white to reddish brown underneath. In late spring the plant produces hemispherical clusters of very fragrant, tiny, white, sticky flowers that are highly attractive to bees.
The leaves can be chewed, in their raw state, boiled and used as a spicy marinate for meat or steeped for its most common use as a medicinal tea. It can also be used as a facial steam bath.
The plant contains a poison called ledo, which can cause cramps, slowing pulse, lowering of blood pressure, lack of coordination, convulsions, paralysis and even death. Medicinally, it is safe in weak solutions and should not be used on a regular basis or excessively.
Leaves are available throughout the year as the plant is evergreen. It grows in wetland areas in large patches. However, it is slow growing so pick only leaves and do not denude whole plants.
Rhododendron neoglandulosum grows abundantly in the area of the cache. In fact the cache has been placed in the middle of a large patch. The local Nlaka'pamux (Thompson) people use this and several other areas for traditional tea gathering. The tea is picked most often in the autumn and is usually dried to be used later.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ybbx pnershyyl, fbzrguvat vfa'g dhvgr evtug.
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