Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Week Four: Oleander

Not-So-Fun Fact: All parts of the oleander shrub have been infamous since classical times as a lethal poison.

Common Name: Oleander

Scientific Name: Nerium oleander

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Gentianales

Family: Apocynaceae

Genus: Nerium

Species: N. oleander

Description: Oleander is a large woody-stemmed shrub covered by five-petaled blossoms in shades of red, yellow, pink, or white. All parts of the plant contain oleandrin, a cardiac glycoside named after the plant.

Environment: Oleander prefers warm, dry, sunny climates in temperate and tropical regions across the globe. It originated in the Mediterranean, where it was described by such prominent naturalists as Pliny the Elder.

Reproduction & Development: Oleander is an angiosperm, which means that it reproduces sexually by way of pollination of its flowers. It is capable of self-pollination, which is fortunate, since oleander is rarely visited by its insect pollinators. Those flowers that are pollinated produce spores that disperse themselves, and from these grow new shrubs. Oleander is a perennial evergreen.

Nutrition: Oleander prefers dry, sunny locations, though the young seedlings do require more water than the adults. Like all plants, it uses photosynthesis to produce sugars, which are stored in the plant; and oxygen, which is released as a waste product.
 

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