oleander

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• rose bay
• rose-laurel
• Ceylone Rose
• Ceylonrose
• Ceylons Rose
• Dog-Bane
• Double Oleander
• Rose Laurel
• Sweet-Scented Oleander
• common oleander

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Nerium oleander var. indicum
• Nerium thyrsiflorum
• Nerium oleander var. madonii-grandiflorum
• Nerium oleander atropurpureum-plenum
• Nerium oleander var. luteomarginatum
• Nerium oleander var. radicans
• Nerium atropurpureum
• Nerium splendens
• Oleander indica
• Nerion oleandrum
• Oleander vulgaris
• Nerium carneum
• Nerium mascatense
• Nerium indicum var. ragonotii
• Nerium oleander var. atropurpureum
• Nerium odoratissimum
• Nerium odoratum
• Nerium indicum var. oxiacantholens
• Nerium odorum
• Nerium indicum var. ochroleucum
• Nerium indicum var. aurantiacum
• Nerium oleander subsp. kurdicum
• Nerium indicum var. luteum
• Nerium kotschyi
• Nerium indicum var. odorum
• Nerium latifolium
• Nerium indicum var. splendens
• Nerium lauriforme
• Nerium flavescens
• Nerium floridum
• Nerium indicum
• Nerium indicum subsp. kotschyi
• Nerium japonicum
• Nerium oleander var. pictum-argenteum
• Nerium madonii
• Nerium oleander var. album

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further organized into the order Gentianales and the family Apocynaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Nerium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific presence across various regions of Southwestern Europe. Within this area, it can be found growing in the Baleares. It also inhabits the island of Corse and extends its reach into France. Additionally, its distribution includes the coastal areas of Portugal. Finally, the species is documented to grow in Sardegna.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Nerium oleander is characterized by its ability to thrive across a diverse altitudinal gradient, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) to a maximum elevation of 1900 m AMSL, with a mean elevational range of approximately 322 m AMSL. This species demonstrates significant adaptability to human-altered environments, frequently occurring within anthropogenic habitats (Área Antrópica), where it often colonizes disturbed sites, roadsides, and urban landscapes.

Elevational range max:

1900 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

322 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Nerium oleander is characterized by its robust and enduring nature, functioning primarily as a perennial plant. In terms of its growth habit and structural classification, it exhibits characteristics of both a phanerophyte, due to its woody, upright branching structure, and a nanophanerophyte, reflecting its compact shrubby growth patterns in certain environments. Throughout its life cycle, the plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that it retains its foliage year-round and remains biologically active across various seasons.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Nerium oleander is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, functioning as a self-supporting plant rather than a climber or a vine. It is a terrestrial species that exists independently, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant variability in height, with individual specimens ranging from a minimum of 0.09 m to a maximum of 8 m, maintaining a mean plant height of approximately 3.85 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

8 m

Plant height mean:

3.85 m

Plant height min:

0.09 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Nerium oleander is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The plant features specialized leaf morphology with lengths ranging from a minimum of 6 cm to a maximum of 20 cm, while the width of the leaves varies between 1 cm and 3 cm, maintaining a mean width of 1.2 cm. These leaves exhibit a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 158.37 cm²/g, reflecting its resource allocation strategy and leaf density. Furthermore, the species is not succulent in nature and does not possess the physiological capability to act as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on soil nutrient availability for its development.

Leaf length max:

20 cm

Leaf length min:

6 cm

Leaf width max:

3 cm

Leaf width mean:

1.2 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

158.37 cm²/g

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Nerium oleander involves both sexual and asexual mechanisms, with the sexual process being characterized by bisexual flowers. The flowering period is extensive, typically starting in April and continuing through December, though the specific timing can be variable throughout the year. The plant relies on biotic pollination, specifically utilizing an insect pollination syndrome to facilitate fertilization; notably, self-fertilization is absent, necessitating these external agents. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits with a mean length of approximately 18 cm, which contain a high volume of seeds, often exceeding 1,000 seeds per fruit. The seeds are quite small, with a minimum mass of 0.001 g, a mean mass of 0.004083 g, and a maximum mass of 0.00945 g. These seeds are dispersed via an anemochorous syndrome, meaning they are specialized for dispersal by wind.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit length mean:

18 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

present

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed mass max:

0.00945 g

Seed mass mean:

0.004083 g

Seed mass min:

0.001 g

Seeds_per_fruit :

>1000

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Nerium oleander has 4 reported plant parts identified across 21 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, flower, root, stem.

Leaf

1. Die Pharmazie
2. Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
3. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
4. Journal of natural products
5. BMC research notes

Flower

1. Indian journal of pharmacology
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Minerva medica

Root

1. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica
2. Journal of natural products

Stem

1. Journal of natural products
2. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Chemicals

Nerium oleander has 87 reported phytochemicals identified across 21 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include OLEANDRIN, Cardenolides, Cardiac Glycosides, Flavonoids, Neritaloside.

OLEANDRIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition)
3. Analytical chemistry
4. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica
5. JAMA

Cardenolides

1. Applied biochemistry and biotechnology
2. Planta medica
3. Journal of chromatography. A
4. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM

Cardiac Glycosides

1. The Medical journal of Australia
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
4. Annals of emergency medicine

Flavonoids

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Applied biochemistry and biotechnology
3. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM

Neritaloside

1. Dr. Duke
2. Analytical chemistry
3. Phytochemistry

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Food & function
2. Scientific reports

Glycosides

1. Dr. Duke
2. JAMA

IL 10

1. Indian journal of pharmacology
2. Cytotechnology

Odoroside H

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemistry

Oleagenin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Activities

Nerium oleander has 335 reported activities identified across 21 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic, Anticancer, Antileukemic, Antioxidant, Antiproliferative.

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomedical and environmental sciences : BES
3. Journal of natural products
4. Minerva medica
5. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of natural products

Antileukemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Minerva medica

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food & function

Antiproliferative

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food & function

Cardiotonic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM

Toxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HT-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Nerium oleander has 21 reported medicinal uses identified across 21 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, COVID-19, Cardiovascular diseases, Cervical cancer, Gastric Cancer.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations