General Information

COMMON NAMES: Oleander, Rose Bay, Common Oleander; German Oleander TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tārona (RR MG AT MK MT AK MH RK), Tiale Tālona (TS), Tiare Tārona (TW), Tālona (PK); Other Polynesian - Oliana (SAM), Tarona (TAH) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mediterranean COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Ornamental flowers; Poisonous to eat or inhale smoke - very serious

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++	P	+++	++	P	P			-

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
++	++?	++?	+++	-	-

Nerium oleander Linnaeus
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Gentianales; APOCYNACEAE

GENERAL NOTE: All parts are dangerously poisonous if ingested. The active ingredient acts mainly on the heart. A death has been reported of a man who ate meat cooked on a stick of oleander wood. (Arnold 1968)

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Nerium oleander.

References:
p.695 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.77 Tropica
p.4/103 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.287 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.89 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.401a Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02

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