Botanical Name: Nerium indicum Mill
Nerium indicum is commonly known as Rose bay, Dog bane, South sea rose, Oleander ceylon tree or Adelfa (Tag., Sp.), that belongs to the Apocynaceae family. The whole plant is very poisonous, containing a powerful cardiac toxin. Ingestion of only one leaf may lead to death in children, while skin contact with the plant can cause irritation. The plant may be medicinal only if used with extreme caution. Nerium indicum is found throughout the Philippines.

This is an evergreen, smooth shrub growing up to 4 meters in height. It is basically leafy all year and the inflorescences bloom from June to October. The flowers have both male and female organs or hermaphrodite, soft sweet-scented, single or double cymes with attractive color that varies from white, pink or red. The leaves are simple, linear-lanceolate, whorled, decussate or in pairs, usually opposite. The fruit is cylindric that grow in pairs with deep longitudinal and narrow parallel lines or ridges, about 15 to 20 centimeters long. The seeds usually are flat and winged or have a tuft of fine, shining white and grayish silky hairs.