OLEANDER, .Yerfon, a genus of plants of the natural order arocynacetr, having a 5-parted calyx, set round on the inside at the base with many tooth-like points or glands, a salver-shaped 5-cleft corolla, in the throat of which is a 5-parted and toothed or lace rated corona, five stamens, the anthers adhering to the stigma, the fruit composed of two follicles. The species are evergreen shrubs with leathery leaves, which are opposite or in threes; the flowers iu false umbels, terminal or axillary. The COMMON OLEANDER (N. oleander), is native of the south of Europe, the north of Africa, and many of the warmer temperate parts of Asia, is frequently planted in many countries as an orna mental shrub, and is not uncommon in Britain as a window-plant. It has beautiful red or sometimes white flowers. The English call it Rost.; BAY, and the French Rosh: LAuunt, (laurier rose). It attains is height of 8 or 10 feet. Its flowers give a splendid appearance to many ruins in the south of Italy. It delights in moist situations, and is
often found near streams. All parts of it contain a hitter and narcotic-acrid juice, poisonous to men and cattle, which flows out as a white milk when young twigs are broken off. Cases of poisoning have occurred by children eating its flowers, and even by the use of the wood for spits or skewers in roasting meat. Its exhalations are injurious to those who remain long under their influence, particularly to those who sleep under it. A decoction of the leaves or bark is much used in the south of France as a wash to cure cutaneous maladies.—N. ocloratum, an Indian species, has larger flowers, which are very fragrant.—N. piscidium (or Eschaltuni piseidium), a perennial climber, a native of the Kasya hills, has a very fibrous bark, the fiber of which is used in India as hemp. The steeping of the stems in ponds kills fish.