Mediterranean, Canary Islands
A hybrid of C. populifolius and C. salviifolius.
"C. salviifolius... are visited by hoverflies, beetles (small, medium-sized and large) and short-tongued bees (small and large)." [2]
"Cistus populifolius L. has been used since antiquity in folk medicine. This plant grows in several areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Extracts obtained from some species of Cistus have been described as antiinflammatory, antiulcerogenic, wound healing, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, vasodilator and antispasmodic... The assayed extract from Cistus populifolius has significant depressent and analgesic effects on the CNS." [1]
"The genus is the source of ladanum, an aromatic, viscous substance which is exuded from the leaf and stem hairs of some species, notably C. ladanifer, on warm summer days. Ladanum has been used since antiquity as a component of incense and perfumes. It is still harvested and used in this way in Crete, and small amounts are exported elsewhere even today. For the gardener, the value of ladanum is that long after the flowers are finished, the scent of the plants on warm, still summer nights has a unique ornamental appeal" [3]
[1] De Andres, A. I., Gómez‐Serranillos, M. P., Iglesias, I., & Villar, A. M. (1999). Effects of extract of Cistus populifolius L. on the central nervous system. Phytotherapy Research: An International Journal Devoted to Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Natural Product Derivatives, 13(7), 575-579.
[2] Hernández‐Castellano, C., Rodrigo, A., Gómez, J. M., Stefanescu, C., Calleja, J. A., Reverté, S., & Bosch, J. (2020). A new native plant in the neighborhood: effects on plant–pollinator networks, pollination, and plant reproductive success. Ecology, e03046.
[3] Bell, N. Rockrose (Cistus spp. and Halimium spp.) Evaluation for Western Oregon. OSU Nursery, Greenhouse, and Christmas Trees. https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/osu-nursery-greenhouse-and-christmas-trees/rockrose-cistus-spp-and-halimium-spp-evaluation-western-oregon
