Nerium oleander
Nerium oleander
Safety & Hazards
The whole plant is very poisonous[ 1 Title RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Publication Author F. Chittendon. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1951 ISBN - Description Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]). , 19 Title Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Stary. F. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1983 ISBN 0-600-35666-3 Description Not very comprehensive, but easy reading. , 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. ]. Skin contact with the plant can cause irritation whilst ingestion of only one leaf has led to death in children[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 274 Title Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Publication Author Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Website http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm Publisher Botanical Research Institute, Texas. Year 1999 ISBN 1-889878-01-4 Description An excellent flora, which is also available on-line. ]. Death has been known to follow the use of the wood of this plant as a meat skewer[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The plant contains a number of toxic principles, including oleandrin, neriine (neroside), oleandroside, ouabain and digitoxine. When ingested they can cause vomiting, shivering, gastroenteritis, respiratory disorders, weakness, brachycardia, convulsions, heart failure and death by asphyxia[ 1314 Title Toxic effect of some medicinal plants used in Moroccan traditional medicine Publication Moroccan J. Biol. 2-3 (2006) 21-30 Author Mohamed Bnouham; Fatima Zahra Merhfour; Mostafa Elachoui; Ab Publisher Year 2006 ISBN Description ].
Botanical Description
Nerium oleander is an evergreen shrub or small tree with thin, erect branches; it can grow to a height of 4 - 8 metres[ 362 Title Dominica Botanic Gardens Publication Author Website http://www.da-academy.org/trees_shrubs.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line resource, providing top quality pictures and some basic information on various plants being grown at the Botanic Gardens, often including uses and habitat. ]. A very poisonous plant it is sometimes gathered from the wild for medicinal and other uses. It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant, where it can be grown as a hedge. Widely cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate regions, Nerium oleander has often escaped from cultivation. In some countries it has become naturalized and in some of these it is declared invasive[ 305 Title Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk Publication Author Website http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands. ]