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Nerium oleander


Nerium oleander
Photo Information
Copyright: Argiris Zafeiridis (azaf1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 634 W: 53 N: 731] (4512)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-07
Categories: Nature
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-25 13:27
Viewed: 457
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 50
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Oleander (Nerium oleander), is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Nerium. Other names include Adefla, Alheli Extranjero, Baladre, Espirradeira, Flor de São Jose, Laurel de jardín, Laurel rosa, Laurier rose, Flourier rose, Olean, Aiwa, Rosa Francesca, Rosa Laurel, and Rose-bay (Inchem 2005), закум [zakum] (bulgarian), zakum, zakkum, zakhum (turkish), zaqqum (arabic); Kaneru (in Sinhalese); in Chinese it is known as 夹竹桃 (jia zhu tao). The ancient city of Volubilis in North Africa took its name from the old Latin name for the flower.

It is native to a broad area from Morocco and Portugal eastward through the Mediterranean region and southern Asia to Yunnan in southern parts of China (Flora Europaea; Flora of China; Huxley et al. 1992; www.inchem.org). It typically occurs around dry stream beds. It grows to 2-6 m tall, with spreading to erect branches. The leaves are in pairs or whorls of three, thick and leathery, dark green, narrow lanceolate, 5-21 cm long and 1-3.5 cm broad, and with an entire margin. The flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch; they are white, pink or yellow, 2.5-5 cm diameter, with a deeply 5-lobed corolla with a fringe round the central corolla tube. They are often, but not always, sweetly scented. The fruit is a long narrow capsule 5-23 cm long, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds.

In the past, scented plants were sometimes treated as a distinct species N. odorum, but the character is not constant and it is no longer regarded as a separate taxon.

Toxicity

Oleander is one of the most poisonous plants and contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which can be deadly to people, especially young children. The toxicity of Oleander is considered extremely high and it has been reported that in some cases only a small amount had lethal or near lethal effects (Goetz 1998). The most significant of these toxins are oleandrin and neriine, which are cardiac glycosides (Goetz 1998). "Cardiac glycocides are naturally occurring" plant or animal compounds "whose actions include both beneficial and toxic effects on the heart" (Desai 2000). They are present in all parts of the plant, but are most concentrated in the sap, which can block out receptors in the skin causing numbness. It is thought that Oleander may contain many other unknown or un-researched compounds that may have dangerous effects (Inchem 2005). Oleander bark contains rosagenin which is known for its strychnine-like effects. The entire plant including the milky white sap is toxic and any part can cause an adverse reaction. Oleander is also known to hold its toxicity even after drying. It is thought that a handful or 10-20 leaves consumed by an adult can cause an adverse reaction, and a single leaf could be lethal to an infant or child. According to the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS) in 2002 there were 847 known human poisonings in the United States related to Oleander (Watson 2003). There are innumerable reported suicidal cases of consuming mashed oleander seeds in southern India. In animals, around 0.5 mg per kilogram of body weight is lethal to many animals, and various other doses will affect other animals (Inchem 2005). Most animals can suffer a reaction or death from this plant.

For more info look it up at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleander
neusser0204, zhelach, SlavicaN, tsesler, lilimih33, kiwi_explorer, thiv56, Hendrika, harpya, temmeli, jusninasirun, trekks, chrisJ, Romeu, Urfaust, Dingo, efrosini has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi dear Argiris,
Beautiful flower catch in excellent macro. Very good contrast with BG.
Best wishes
Siegfried

Hello Argiris!
Nice macro shot! Wonderful leaf texture! Beautiful colors and deatils!
TFS, Best regards, Zorica

Kalispera, Argiri :)

Very interesting point of view for this excellent macro. Beautiful combination of red and green (my second favorite, after red/black), perfect sharpness and clarity. And very interesting note, I knew about poisonness of oleander, but I would never thought that it could be so dangerous.

Regards,
Slavica

Hello Argiris!
Very nice your point of view and great colours in your composition!
Excellent light and good focus!
Best regards!
Lili

  • Great 
  • marijo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 198 W: 0 N: 51] (1145)
  • [2008-06-25 16:00]

Hi Argiris,
Splendid flower.. It is fantastic with this colour that you captured very well.
Abraços
maria

Hi Argiris,
Good color contrast between the leaves and flower ... striking color combination of primary colors. Well researched description of the flower ... interesting. Well captured and presented. Well done! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

Hi Argiris
Beautiful colors and great sharpnes
Bravo
TFS
Cheers,Braca

  •      
  • pozaru Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3301 W: 676 N: 2053] (16615)
  • [2008-06-25 23:04]

What a wonderful firework !


thanks,
v

Nice macro and excellent colours!
Regards.
A.

Kalimera Argiri!

Nice macro shot, with a very good pov! TFS.

Hi Argiris,
excellent compo with perfect clarity and sharpnes,
beautiful combination of red and green,
welldone and tfs,
regards,
Taner
:) tomorrow

  • Great 
  • jone Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1888 W: 73 N: 0] (18572)
  • [2008-06-26 1:40]

Greetings my friend ;)))
Original and impressive photo, TFS
Best,
J ;)

I will put away that oleander in the container then when the children are visiting.

Lovely deep red here Argiris and wonderful POV.

TFS
Els

kalimera my friend argiris
magnificent idea and maro picture.wonderful colours and composition.well done.
best regards.
gürkan akçakır.

Hi Argiris,
What a superb close up.Very impressive colours, sharp contrastd and details.TFS.
Cheers,

hAyAti

  • Great 
  • tatara Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 152 W: 32 N: 92] (2071)
  • [2008-06-26 15:54]

Argiris this is great shot,
Colours and lighting is marvellous,fantastic again
Jozef...

Hi dear friend,
I've always liked this plant.
Superb contrast between red&green.
Perfect light. TFS
Have a lovely WE.
Ioana

  • Great 
  • harpya Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 5079 W: 180 N: 6240] (32948)
  • [2008-06-27 5:45]

Hello my friend...

Beautiful macro shot
I adore these colors and theses buttons.
Very good contrast with BG.
Of very good taste and very detailed!
Congratulations Argiris!

Sérgio

Hello dear Argiris,
Nice presentation of the oleander.
Amazing details & great capture of the beautiful color of the flower..
All my compliments.
Have a lovely weekend dear friend!
Hugs,
Linda

Hello Argiris. Another excellent post of the flowers captured in superb macro. I like the light and texture in pleasant composition. Well done and best regards. Jusni

  • Great 
  • trekks Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1561 W: 118 N: 2549] (9786)
  • [2008-06-27 22:33]

hi Argiris

Poisonous plant but it does give a good macro color and sharpness in your capture of red among the green. Nice work.

tfs, bill

  • Great 
  • chrisJ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3950 W: 219 N: 3785] (28217)
  • [2008-06-27 22:39]

Hi Argiris

I like the radial pattern of the red oleander flowers. Tfs!

  • Great 
  • Romeu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 286 W: 0 N: 155] (1411)
  • [2008-06-28 18:33]

Hi Argiris,

beautiful flower, unfortunatly i never have seen one, here in Portugal. Great macro, very sharp!

Congratulations,
Romeu

cool.. Argiris.. ;))
nice colours.. and pov is really strange.. so direct, fast and intense!! effective job!! thanks
ciao Marco

Yperoxo kai panemorfo. Eyxaristoume poly poy to moirazeste me oloys mas
Elena

  • Great 
  • Dingo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2895 W: 370 N: 2730] (11723)
  • [2008-07-01 7:31]

A very "gripping" picture because of the way the buds are positioned here, Argiris ;o). I like the play of light in this shot, and the way the light hits some of these buds.
TFS

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