''Plumeria'' (), known as frangipani, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae, of the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of ...

. Most species are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

shrubs or small trees. The species variously are endemic to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, and the Caribbean, and as far south as

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and north as

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

(United States), but are sometimes grown as cosmopolitan

ornamentals Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

in warm regions. Common names for plants in the genus vary widely according to region, variety, and whim, but frangipani or variations on that theme are the most common. Plumeria is also used as a common name, especially in horticultural circles.

Description

''Plumeria'' flowers are highly fragrant, yet yield no nectar. Their scent is strongest at night, to lure sphinx moths 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.

Propagation

Plumeria blossoms are infertile. Plants of the species may be 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 Auxins (plural of auxin ) are a class of plant hormones (or plant-growth regulators) with some morphogen-like characteristics. Auxins play a cardinal role in coordination of many growth and behavioral processes in plant life cycles and are essenti ...

to the clean fresh-cut end will enable callusing. Plumeria cuttings can also be propagated by grafting to an already rooted system. The Plumeria Society of America lists 368 registered cultivars of ''Plumeria'' as of 2009.

Etymology and common names

The genus plumeria is named in honor of 17th-century French botanist and Catholic monk Charles Plumier, who traveled to the New World documenting many plant and animal species. The common name " frangipani" comes from a 16th-century marquis of the noble Frangipani family in Italy, who created a synthetic plumeria-like

perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

. In

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

the plumeria tree and flower are considered sacred. A relief in the

Penataran Penataran or Panataran ( id, Candi Penataran) is one of the largest Hindu temple ruins complex in East Java, Indonesia. It is located roughly 12 km northeast of Blitar, with the closest airport being farther away at Malang. Believed to have ...

temple ruins in East Java shows a plumeria tree with its distinct flower petals and skeleton-like branches. A relief in the

Borobudur Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur ( id, Candi Borobudur, jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indone ...

temple, at the west side 1st zone, also depicts plumeria. These reliefs were created before European exploration. Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and Penataran in the 14th century. Taken together, their dates fail to establish when plumeria came to Southeast Asia. In eastern India and Bangladesh, plumeria is traditionally considered as a variety of the ''champak'' flower, the ''golok chapa'' (গোলোক চাঁপা), meaning the ''champaka'' that resides in the heavenly home of Sri Krishna, a Hindu god at the highest realm of heaven. The flower, considered sacred, is also known by the names ''gulancha'' and ''kath golap'' (literally, wood rose). Kamboja Panataran 2

In culture

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica ...

, plumerias have carried complex symbolic significance for over two millennia, with striking examples from the

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a popul ...

and

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...

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 nobles. Frangipani without leaves W IMG 3624

These are now common naturalized plants in South and

. In local folk beliefs, they provide shelter to ghosts and demons. They are also associated with temples in both

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

, and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

cultures. In several Pacific islands, such as

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austra ...

, Fiji,

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

, and the

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

, ''Plumeria'' species are used for making leis. In Hawaii, the flower is called melia. In modern Polynesian culture, the flower can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status—over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken. '' Plumeria alba'' is the national flower of Laos, where it is known under the local name ''champa'' or ''dok champa''. In Bengali culture, most white flowers, and in particular, plumeria ( Bengali, চম্পা ''chômpa'' or চাঁপা ''chãpa''), are associated with funerals and death. Also in the Philippines, Indonesia, and

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

, the plumeria is often associated with ghosts and cemeteries. Yangsze Choo in her novel '' The Night Tiger'' for example described it as is “the graveyard flower of the Malays.” Plumerias often are planted on burial grounds in all three nations. They are also common ornamental plants in houses, parks, parking lots, and other open-air establishments in the Philippines. Balinese Hindus use the flowers in their temple offerings. The plumeria's fragrance is also associated with the '' Kuntilanak'', an evil vampiric spirit of a dead mother in Malaysian-Indonesian folklores. Indian

incense Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also b ...

s 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 Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, the bride and groom exchange garlands of cream-coloured plumeria during weddings. Red-colored flowers are not used in weddings. Plumeria plants are found in most of the temples in these regions. In Sri Lankan 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 Eastern Africa, frangipani are sometimes referred to in Swahili love poems. Some species of plumeria have been studied for their potential medicinal value.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Plumeria'' includes about a dozen accepted species, and one or two dozen are open to review, with over 100 regarded as synonyms. The trunk and branches of the ''Plumeria'' species have a milky

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

sap that, like many other Apocynaceae, contains poisonous compounds that irritate the eyes and skin. The various species differ in their

leaf shape The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are coll ...

and arrangement. 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 species that retains leaves and flowers in winter is ''P. obtusa''; though its common name is "Singapore", it is originally from Colombia.

Species

''Plants of the World Online''Plants of the World Online ''Plumeria'' Tourn. ex L. (retrieved 6 May 2019)
/ref> lists the following:

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

Gallery

File:Kudup dan bunga kemboja (Plumeria).JPG , Red frangipani found in

. 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 Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

File:Bunga Kemboja.jpg , Pink frangipani File:Plumeria White.jpg, White Plumeria, found at

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

File:Chempakam.jpg, White Plumeria,

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second l ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

File:Plumeria-0006-Zachi-Evenor.jpg, '' Plumeria rubra'' in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

File:Indian champa plumeria.jpg , Plumeria (Indian Champa) in Surat,

References

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WYgxw8Uy14&t=4s Easy way to make a Plumeria Floral Garland archived i
Ghostarchive.org
on 19 April 2022

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q218123 Apocynaceae genera Flora of Central America Flora of South America Flora of the Caribbean Garden plants of South America