182 Apocynaceae. 
glabrous, shining drupe, an inch in diameter, and becomes black when 
mature. 
It is an ornamental shrub or small tree introduced from tropi- 
cal America and now cultivated in many tropical countries. It flowers 
all the year round, and is quite commonly planted in and about 
Honolulu. It is well naturalized in Bengal and the plains of India. 
From the seeds a bright yellow oil is expressed, which burns well 
without giving off much smoke, it is also of medicinal value, as it 
contains triolein, tripamitin and tristearin. De Vry obtained, after 
expression of the oil, from the cake, about four per cent of a beauti- 
ful crystallized white glucoside, which he called thevetine ; the same 
substance was obtained from the bark. 
The milky juice of this tree is highly poisonous. The bark, which 
is a cathartic, is also a powerful febrifuge, and was tried in the form 
of a tincture in various forms of intermittent fever with good results. 
When given in large doses it is a powerful poison, in smaller doses 
it acts as an acrid purgative and emetic. 
The poison contained in the seeds, juice, and bark, belongs to the 
class of acro-narotic poisons. Great caution is necessary in all trials 
with this remedy. 
A second species, Thevetia Iccotli DC, a native of Mexico, is 
cultivated in Kapiolani Park. It differs from the foregoing in the 
larger flowers and the very narrow linear leaves, which are pubescent 
underneath and are also revolute. 
Nerium indicum Mill. 
(Syn. Nerium odorum Soland.) 
Oleander. 
Nerium indicum differs from Nerium oleander of the Mediter- 
ranean region in the sweet-scented flowers and ternate leaves. The 
latter species may also be in cultivation in the Islands, but those 
which the writer examined belong all to Nerium indicum. It is 
an erect shrub with the leaves in whorls of three to four, they are 
linear-lanceolate and pointed. The flowers are about two inches 
across, white, pink, or red, and are quite fragrant. It often pro- 
duces fruit (two long follicles) quite profusely. 
It is a native of India, ranging from Afghanistan to Japan, but 
is now cultivated in most tropical, subtropical, and even temperate 
regions. It can be grown from seed, layers and cuttings, and is pro- 
fusely planted all over Honolulu, as well as on the other islands. 
