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Cistus: Rockrose
The genus Cistus is native to the Mediterranean region, extending west to
the Canary Islands, and east to the Caucasus. These evergreen shrubs often flourish
in stony soil, giving them the vernacular name rockrose.
The flowers, which often look somewhat wrinkled, are reminiscent of the dogrose.
The white or pink petals usually fall off within a day of opening.
Some rockroses exude an aromatic resin that has been used by humans since ancient
times. Especially valued are the Spanish rockrose you see here, Cistus ladanifer,
and the pink-blossomed hairy rockrose also found in this house, Cistus incanus.
Both produce the fragrant, dark brown resin known as labdanum. It’s used in making
soap and perfumes as a fixative to bind other aromatic compounds.
People once believed in labdanum as a cure-all. It was used to dress wounds, and
applied to the body to cure rheumatism. Taken internally, it was thought to act as
an anticonvulsant and help against stomach ulcers. Today, some still take rockrose
extract to strengthen their immune systems.
In former times, a very odd method of harvesting the resin was used. A herd of goats
would be driven into and out of the dense rockrose thicket. Later, the resin would be
combed out of the goats‘ beards. Things are easier today; labdanum is extracted from
the plant with chemical solvents, or by boiling young twigs and skimming off the resin
that rises to the top.
Audio file download
Cistus: Rockrose (MP3, 665 KB)
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