Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae Subfamily
: Apocynoideae
Genre: Nerium
Species: N. oleander
Photo: Nerium Oleander
The oleander (Nerium oleander L., 1753) is an evergreen shrub belonging to the family Apocynaceae. Is it native to Asia but naturalized in the Mediterranean and spontaneous and widely cultivated for ornamental purposes. The oleander has a shrub with branched stems usually not departing from the stump, at first erect, then arching outward. The young branches are green and hairless. The stems and branches have an old bark greyish.
The leaves are hairless and leathery, arranged in whorls of 2-3, shortly petiolate, with entire margin and rib strong central and prominent. The lamina is lanceolate, acute apex, 1-2 cm wide and 10-14 cm long.
Photo: oleander flowers
The flowers are large and showy, radial symmetry, arranged in terminal buds. The cup is divided into five lobes lanceolate, pale pink or white forms in the wild. The corolla is tubular and then divided into five lobes, varying in color from white to pink to carmine red. The cultivated varieties are double flowered. The androecium consists of five stamens, with filaments welded pipe corollino. The ovary is super, formed by two carpels pluriovulari. The bloom is abundant and scalar begins in April or May and lasts through the summer until autumn. Photo: Semi-ripe fruit to
The fruit is a follicle fusiform, narrow and elongated, 10-15 cm long. A mature, open lengthwise, leaving out the seeds. The seed has a size varies from 3 to 5 mm long and about 1 mm in diameter and is topped with a fluff prepared umbrella (PAPP), which allows the seed to be carried by wind for long distances. needs and adaptation
Image: Nerium oleander wild
The oleander is a thermophilic species eliofila and quite hardy. Takes advantage of soil moisture with a strong vegetative response, however, has xerofitici characters due to the change of leaf stomata that allow it to withstand long periods of drought. Sensitive to cold weather , so in cold environments outside his area fitoclimatica should be placed in sheltered and sunny. is grown all over Italy as an ornamental and is often used along roads because it requires no special cultural practices.
Despite the bushy nature, can be cared for the tree-lined boulevards to create beautiful flowers for the abundant, long and varied colors. In this case requires frequent interventions spollonatura to remove basal suckers from the stump issued
The oleander has a fairly large distribution area that extends from the warm temperate zone in Japan the basin of the Mediterranean .
In Italy grows naturally in the area of \u200b\u200bfitoclimatica Lauretum at the coast, advancing to within 1000 meters of altitude along the waterways. In fact it is a common and distinctive vegetation riparian environments of the Mediterranean , almost always associated with other riparian species such as the 'alder , the tamarisk , the' chaste lamb .
settles both on sandy soils at the mouths of rivers or along their shores, and on rocky shores, often forming a dense vegetation.
The riparian plant association with a marked presence of oleander is a particular cenosis plant which takes its name Macchia to oleander and chaste lamb , of \u200b\u200blimited size. It is a natural continuation of ' Oleo-Ceratonion , since the two cenosis graded at each other with intermediate associations that see oleander and simultaneously the presence of elements typical of the termoxerofila ( mastic , carob , myrtle, etc.)..
A singular case, perhaps unique in nature, can be found in the Gorge on Gorropu between Supramonte of Orgosolo and to Urzulei in Sardinia : in this case the stain to oleander chaste lamb and you forward up to 1000 feet bordering the primary ilex.
In pharmacology
Photo: Oleandrina.
toxins nell'oleandro
The oleander is one of the most toxic plants that are known. The whole plant (leaves, bark, seeds) is toxic to any animal species. If ingested leads to
- tachycardia with increased respiratory rate,
- stomach upset, including vomiting, nausea and heartburn
- central nervous system disorders, including drowsiness.
Responsible for this is the extreme toxicity oleandrina, a glycoside cardiotoxic, but the oleander contains a number of other toxic principles, which are preserved even after drying.
The oleander is one of the plants that contain cardenolidi.
The animal species most affected are horses, cattle and small carnivores. In horses we also have the appearance of serious and deep lesions on the oral mucosa.
Death comes to cardio-respiratory collapse only in case if they ingest large quantities
Trivia:
The oleander is subject to gift and a metaphor for life in the film The fish love with Leonardo Pieraccioni.
Its toxic properties have been used as a "weapon" for the murder described in the movie White Oleander. In that regard, the story goes that several soldiers of Napoleon's troops died from poisoning after using oleander branches as skewers for cooking the meat on the grill during the military campaigns in Italy.
Source: Wikipedia.org