Plumeria (), also known as frangipani, is a genus of in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae, of the family Apocynaceae.
Names
The genus
Plumeria is named in honour of 17th-century
French people Botany and
Catholic Church monk Charles Plumier, who traveled to the
New World documenting many plant and animal species.
is also used as a common name, especially in
Horticulture circles.
The name "" comes from a 16th-century marquis of the noble Frangipani family in Italy, who created a synthetic plumeria-like perfume.
Description
Plumeria branches are
Succulent plant.
The trunk and branches of the
Plumeria species have a milky
latex sap that, like many other Apocynaceae, contains poisonous compounds that irritate the eyes and skin.
[ College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). Ornamentals and Flowers. Feb. 1998. OF-24.]
Leaves
Plumeria species are small trees or low shrubs. The leaves grow at tips of their branches. Various species and
cultivar have various leaf shape and
phyllotaxis.
The leaves of
P. alba are narrow and corrugated, whereas leaves of
P. pudica have an elongated shape and glossy, dark-green color.
P. pudica is one of the everblooming types with nondeciduous,
evergreen leaves. Another, semi-deciduous species that retains leaves and flowers in winter is
P. obtusa; commonly known as "Singapore plumeria".
Flowers
Plumeria trees flower from early summer to fall. Their blossoms grow in clusters on ends of the stems, they are made of tubular corolla with a length of that split sharply into five rounded and waxy petals that overlap each other. These flowers come in many colours including pink, red, white and yellow, orange, or pastel. They have separate anthers.
The flowers are highly fragrant, especially at night. Their scent is perceived to have floral elements of jasmine, citrus, gardenia, fruity aromatic notes of coconut, peach, vanilla, as well as Milk, woody accords. However, they yield no nectar. Their scent tricks Sphingidae into pollinating them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.
Insects or human pollination can help create new varieties of plumeria. Plumeria trees from cross-pollinated seeds may show characteristics of the mother tree or their flowers might just have a distinct appearance.
Its fruit separates into two follicles with winged seeds.
Taxonomy
Species
The genus
Plumeria includes about 18 accepted species, with over 100 regarded as synonyms. , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:
Synonyms
-
The following may be designated to the nominate subspecies of Plumeria obtusa L.:
-
Plumeria clusioides Griseb.
[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-161613 The Plant List (RBG, Kew, MBG) access date: 2015-02-26] - Cuba
-
Plumeria cubensis Urb.
[ - Cuba
]
-
Plumeria ekmanii Urb.
[ - Cuba
]
-
Plumeria emarginata Griseb.
[ - Cuba
]
-
Plumeria krugii Urb.
[ - Puerto Rico
]
-
Plumeria montana Britton & P.Wilson
[ - Cuba
]
-
Plumeria venosa Britton
[ - Cuba
]
-
The following may be considered synonyms of P. obtusa var. sericifolia (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Woodson:
-
Plumeria lanata Britton
[ - Cuba
]
-
Plumeria sericifolia C.Wright ex Griseb.
[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-161615 The Plant List (RBG, Kew, MBG) access date: 2015-02-26] - Cuba
-
Plumeria trinitensis Britton
[ - Cuba
]
-
Plumeria tuberculata G.Lodd.
[ - Hispaniola, Bahamas
]
- Formerly included in genus
-
Plumeria ambigua Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria angustiflora Spruce ex Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus attenuatus (Benth.) Woodson
-
Plumeria articulata Vahl = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
-
Plumeria attenuata Benth = Himatanthus attenuatus (Benth.) Woodson
-
Plumeria bracteata A.DC. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria drastica Mart. = Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel
-
Plumeria fallax Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel
-
Plumeria floribunda var floribunda = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
-
Plumeria floribunda var. acutifolia Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria floribunda var. calycina Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria floribunda var. crassipes Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria hilariana Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
-
Plumeria lancifolia Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria latifolia Pilg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
-
Plumeria martii Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria microcalyx Standl. = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
-
Plumeria mulongo Benth. = Himatanthus attenuatus (Benth.) Woodson
-
Plumeria obovata Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
-
Plumeria oligoneura Malme = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
-
Plumeria phagedaenica Benth. ex Müll.Arg. 1860 not Mart. 1831 = Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel
-
Plumeria phagedaenica Mart. 1831 not Benth. ex Müll.Arg. 1860= Himatanthus phagedaenicus (Mart.) Woodson
-
Plumeria puberula Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
-
Plumeria retusa Lam. = Tabernaemontana retusa (Lam.) Pichon
-
Plumeria revoluta Huber = Himatanthus stenophyllus Plumel
-
Plumeria speciosa Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
-
Plumeria sucuuba Spruce ex Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
-
Plumeria tarapotensis K.Schum. ex Markgr. = Himatanthus tarapotensis (K.Schum. ex Markgr.) Plumel
-
Plumeria velutina Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
-
Plumeria warmingii Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
Propagation
Plumeria can be propagated by seed or vegetatively propagated by cutting stem tips in spring, allowing them to dry at their bases, then planting in well-drained soil. These are particularly susceptible to rot in moist soil. Applying
rooting hormone to the clean fresh-cut end will enable callusing.
Plumeria cuttings can also be propagated by grafting to an already rooted system.
In culture
In
Mesoamerica, plumerias have carried complex symbolic significance for over two millennia, with striking examples from the Maya and
Aztec periods into the present. Among the Maya, plumerias have been associated with deities representing life and fertility, and the flowers also became strongly connected with female sexuality.
Nahuatl-speaking people during the height of the
Aztec Empire used plumerias to signify elite status, and planted plumeria trees in the gardens of
Pipiltin.
In the Philippines, where plumerias were introduced early in the 1560s from Mexico, plumerias are associated with graveyards, since the strong smell of the flowers were used to mask the "smell of death". This association spread into neighboring regions in Ternate and into Malaysia and Indonesia. In these two countries, plumerias are still often associated with and Cemetery.
In several Pacific islands, where plumerias were introduced in the late 19th century,
Plumeria alba is the national flower of Laos, where it is known under the local name "champa" or " dok champa". It is also used as the logo of Lao Airlines, the national airline of Laos.
In eastern India and Bangladesh, plumeria is traditionally considered as a variety of the champak flower, the golok chapa, meaning the champaka that resides in the heavenly home of Sri Krishna, a Hinduism god at the highest realm of heaven. In Sri Lanka it is known as "Araliya" or "Temple Flower". The flower, considered sacred, is also known by the names gulancha and kath golap.
In Bengali culture, most white flowers, and in particular, plumeria (Bengali language, chômpa or chãpa), are associated with funerals and death.
Indian scented with Plumeria rubra have " champa" in their names. For example, nag champa is an incense containing a fragrance combining plumeria and sandalwood. While plumeria is an ingredient in Indian champa incense, the extent of its use varies between family recipes. Most champa incenses also incorporate other tree resins, such as Halmaddi ( Ailanthus triphysa) and benzoin resin, as well as other floral ingredients, including champaca ( Magnolia champaca), geranium ( Pelargonium graveolens), and vanilla ( Vanilla planifolia) to produce a more intense, plumeria-like aroma.
In the Western Ghats of Karnataka, the bride and groom exchange garlands of cream-coloured plumeria during weddings. Red-colored flowers are not used in weddings in this region. Plumeria plants are found in most of the temples in these regions.
In tradition, plumeria is associated with worship. One of the heavenly damsels in the frescoes of the fifth-century rock fortress Sigiriya holds a five-petalled flower in her right hand that is indistinguishable from plumeria.
In East Africa, frangipani are sometimes referred to in Swahili language love poems.
Some species of plumeria have been studied for their potential Medicinal plants value.
In arts
The Plumeria (commonly known as Pomelia) inspired the composition "Pomelie - Miniature for Two Guitars" by Franco-Austrian composer Carlo Francesco Defranceschi, dedicated to Duo Imbesi Zangarà (Carmelo Imbesi and Carmen Zangarà). The recording of the piece was released in 2021 by the record label Classical Music 3.0, and the sheet music was published the same year by Rugginenti Classica.
Gallery
File:Frangipani 3.jpg|Red plumeria found in Nashik, India
File:Kudup dan bunga kemboja (Plumeria).JPG |Red frangipani found in Malaysia
File:Bunga kemboja (Plumeria) merah.JPG |Red frangipani found in Malaysia
File:Plumeria (Frangipani).jpg|Plumeria in the Jardin des Plantes de Lille, Lille, France
File:Fallen Plumeria.JPG|Plumeria found in Bangalore, India
File:Bunga Kemboja.jpg |Pink frangipani
File:Plumeria White.jpg|White Plumeria, found at Andhra Pradesh
File:Chempakam.jpg|White Plumeria, Kozhikode, Kerala
File:Plumeria-0006-Zachi-Evenor.jpg| Plumeria rubra in Israel
File:Indian champa plumeria.jpg | Plumeria (Indian Champa) in Surat, India
File:Hot pink frangipani in full bloom.jpg|Hot pink frangipani in full bloom
File:Plumeria-tree-Tel-Aviv-ZE-MK-1.jpg|Flowering tree of Plumeria rubra decorating a garden in Tel Aviv, Israel
External links
