Oleander or Rose Laurel - nerium oleander - Ecclus 24:18, 39:17
In the Bible oleander is called a rose. In olden times the words for roses and lilies were used in a loose way to indicate any beautiful flowers of these types. The oleander is very abundant around Jericho, where it is doubtful whether roses ever flourished except in gardens, although seven different species of the genus Rosa grow in Palestine.
