Wikipedia

Plumeria

"Frangipani" redirects here. For the Australian plant also referred to as 'frangipani', seeHymenosporum.For other uses, seeFrangipani (disambiguation).

Plumeria(/pluːˈmɛriə/), also known asfrangipani,is agenusofflowering plantsin the subfamilyRauvolfioideae,of the familyApocynaceae.[1]Most species aredeciduousshrubsor smalltrees.The species are native to theNeotropical realm(inMexico,Central America,and theCaribbean,and as far south asBraziland as far north asFloridain theUnited States), but are often grown ascosmopolitanornamentalsintropicalregions, especially inHawaii,as well ashot desert climatesin theArabian Peninsulawith properirrigation.[2][3]

Plumeria
Plumeria rubra
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subtribe: Plumeriinae
Genus: Plumeria
L.[1]
Species

See text

Synonyms[2]
  • PlumieriaScop.

Names

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The genus Plumeria is named in honour of 17th-centuryFrenchbotanistandCatholicmonkCharles Plumier,who traveled to theNew Worlddocumenting many plant and animal species.[4]Plumeriais also used as a common name, especially inhorticulturalcircles.[5]

The name "frangipani"comes from a 16th-centurymarquisof the nobleFrangipani familyin Italy, who created a synthetic plumeria-likeperfume.[6][7]Common names for plants in the genus vary widely according to region, variety, and whim, butfrangipanior variations on that theme are the most common.[5]

In eastern India and Bangladesh, plumeria is traditionally considered as a variety of thechampakflower, thegolok chapa,meaning thechampakathat resides in the heavenly home ofSri Krishna,aHindugod 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 namesgulanchaandkath golap.

Description

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Frangipani trunk inKolkata,West Bengal,India

Plumeria branches aresucculent.[8]The trunk and branches of thePlumeriaspecies have a milkylatexsap that, like many other Apocynaceae, containspoisonouscompounds that irritate the eyes and skin.[9][10]

Leaves

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Leaves
Fruit

Plumeria trees are small or low shrubs. The leaves grow at tips of their branches. Various species andcultivarhave variousleaf shapeandarrangements.[10][3]The leaves ofP. albaare narrow and corrugated, whereas leaves ofP. pudicahave an elongated shape and glossy, dark-green color.P. pudicais one of the everblooming types with nondeciduous,evergreenleaves. Another, semi-deciduous species that retains leaves and flowers in winter isP. obtusa;commonly known as "Singapore plumeria".[11]

Flowers

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Time-lapse of a flower opening

Plumeriatrees 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 2–4 inches (5.1–10.2 cm) 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.[10][3]

The flowers are highly fragrant, especially at night. Their scent is perceived to have floral elements ofjasmine,citrus,gardenia,fruity aromatic notes ofcoconut,peach,vanilla,as well aslactonic,woody accords. However, they yield nonectar.Their scent trickssphinx mothsinto pollinating them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.[12]

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.[13]

Its fruit separates into two follicles with winged seeds.[3]

Taxonomy

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Species

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A frangipani tree in bloom inBugibba,Malta

The genusPlumeriaincludes about 18 accepted species, with over 100 regarded as synonyms. As of January 2024,Plants of the World Onlineaccepted the following species:[2]

Synonyms

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  • The following may be designated to the nominate subspecies ofPlumeria obtusaL.:
    • Plumeria clusioidesGriseb.[14]- Cuba
    • Plumeria cubensisUrb.[14]- Cuba
    • Plumeria ekmaniiUrb.[14]- Cuba
    • Plumeria emarginataGriseb.[14]- Cuba
    • Plumeria krugiiUrb.[14]- Puerto Rico
    • Plumeria montanaBritton & P.Wilson[14]- Cuba
    • Plumeria venosaBritton[14]- Cuba
  • The following may be considered synonyms ofP. obtusavar.sericifolia(C.Wright ex Griseb.) Woodson:
    • Plumeria lanataBritton[15]- Cuba
    • Plumeria sericifoliaC.Wright ex Griseb.[15]- Cuba
    • Plumeria trinitensisBritton[15]- Cuba
    • Plumeria tuberculataG.Lodd.[15]- Hispaniola, Bahamas
Formerly included in genus[2]

Propagation

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Plumeria can be propagated by seed or vegetativelypropagatedby 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. Applyingrooting hormoneto the clean fresh-cut end will enable callusing.

Plumeria cuttings can also be propagated bygraftingto an already rooted system.[16]The Plumeria Society of America lists 368 registered cultivars ofPlumeriaas of 2009.[17]

In culture

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Plumeria is commonly used to makeleisin Hawaii.

InMesoamerica,plumerias have carried complex symbolic significance for over two millennia, with striking examples from theMayaandAztecperiods into the present. Among the Maya, plumerias have been associated withdeitiesrepresenting life and fertility, and the flowers also became strongly connected with female sexuality.Nahuatl-speaking people during the height of theAztec Empireused plumerias to signify elite status, and planted plumeria trees in the gardens ofnobles.[18]

In thePhilippines,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 inTernateand intoMalaysiaandIndonesia.In these two countries, plumerias are still often associated withghostsandcemeteries.[19][20]Yangsze Choo in her novelThe Night Tigerfor 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 Hindususe the flowers in their temple offerings. The plumeria's fragrance is also associated with theKuntilanak,an evil vampiric spirit of a dead mother in Malaysian-Indonesian folklores.

In several Pacific islands, where plumerias were introduced in the late 19th century,[19]such asTahiti,Fiji,Samoa,Hawaii,New Zealand,Tonga,and theCook Islands,Plumeriaspecies are used for makingleis.[21]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.[22]

Plumeria albais the national flower ofLaos,where it is known under the local name"champa"or "dok champa ".It is also used as the logo ofLao Airlines,the national airline of Laos.[citation needed]

InBengali culture,most white flowers, and in particular, plumeria (Bengali,chômpaorchãpa), are associated with funerals and death.[citation needed]

Indianincensesscented withPlumeria rubrahave "champa"in their names. For example,nag champais an incense containing a fragrance combining plumeria and sandalwood. While plumeria is an ingredient in Indianchampaincense, the extent of its use varies between family recipes. Mostchampaincenses also incorporate other tree resins, such as Halmaddi (Ailanthus triphysa) andbenzoin 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.[23]

In theWestern GhatsofKarnataka,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.

InSri Lankantradition,plumeria is associated with worship. One of the heavenly damsels in the frescoes of the fifth-century rock fortressSigiriyaholds a five-petalled flower in her right hand that is indistinguishable from plumeria.[24]

InEastern Africa,frangipani are sometimes referred to inSwahililove poems.[25]

Some species of plumeria have been studied for their potentialmedicinalvalue.[26]

In Arts

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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.[1]

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References

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  1. ^ab"Genus:ChampaL. "Germplasm Resources Information Network.United States Department of Agriculture. 14 March 2003. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved8 September2010.
  2. ^abcd"PlumeriaTourn. ex L. "Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved4 January2024.
  3. ^abcdEggli, Urs (2002). Albers, Focke (ed.).Illustrated Handbook on Succulent Plants.Vol. 5: Dicotyledons. Springer. p. 16.ISBN978-3-540-41966-2.
  4. ^Zumbroich, Thomas J. (December 2013)."'Plumerias the Color of Roseate Spoonbills'- Continuity and Transition in the Symbolism ofPlumeriaL. in Mesoamerica ".Ethnobotany Research & Applications.11:341–363.Retrieved15 April2015.
  5. ^abGrandtner, M. M. (2005).Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees.Vol. 1: North America. Elsevier. pp. 679–.ISBN978-0-08-046018-5.
  6. ^Piesse, George William Septimus (1867).The Art of Perfumery and the Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants: With Instructions for the Manufacture of Perfumes for the Handkerchief, Scented Powders, Odorous Vinegars, Dentifrices, Pomatums, Cosmetics, Perfumed Soap, Etc., to which is Added an Appendix on Preparing Artificial Fruit-essences, Etc.Lindsay & Blakiston. p. 23.Retrieved8 July2017.
  7. ^Kettler, Andrew (April 2015). "Making the Synthetic Epic".The Senses and Society.10:5–25.doi:10.2752/174589315X14161614601682.S2CID192944557.
  8. ^"Succulents in the Genus Plumeria".World of Succulents.Retrieved2024-05-05.
  9. ^College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). Ornamentals and Flowers. Feb. 1998. OF-24.
  10. ^abcMahr, Susan (2023)."Plumeria".Wisconsin Horticulture.University of Wisconsin-Madison.Retrieved15 February2023.
  11. ^"NParks | Plumeria obtusa".www.nparks.gov.sg.Retrieved2024-05-05.
  12. ^Haber, William A. (1984). "Pollination by Deceit in a Mass-Flowering Tropical TreePlumeria rubraL. (Apocynaceae) ".Biotropica.16(4):269–275.Bibcode:1984Biotr..16..269H.doi:10.2307/2387935.JSTOR2387935.
  13. ^"Plumeria Blooming".6 August 2022.
  14. ^abcdefghttp://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-161613The Plant List (RBG, Kew, MBG) access date: 2015-02-26
  15. ^abcdhttp://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-161615The Plant List (RBG, Kew, MBG) access date: 2015-02-26
  16. ^Thornton, Sharon H. (1985).The Exotic Plumeria (Frangipani).Plumeria Specialties. p. 21.
  17. ^"Registered Plumeria".The Plumeria Society of America.Retrieved2019-03-02.
  18. ^"Zumbroich, Thomas J. 2013. 'Plumerias the Color of Roseate Spoonbills'- Continuity and Transition in the Symbolism ofPlumeriaL. in Mesoamerica. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 11:341-363 ".Retrieved10 October2015.
  19. ^abZumbroich, Thomas J. (2013). "'Plumerias the Color of Roseate Spoonbills' -Continuity and transition in the symbolism ofPlumeriaL. in Mesoamerica ".Ethnobotany Research & Applications.11:341–363.
  20. ^Bautista, Norby (22 April 2015)."The summer blooming of the Kalachuchi".Manila Bulletin.Archived fromthe originalon 31 May 2015.Retrieved19 December2015.
  21. ^Jones, Jay (22 April 2008)."Hawaii keeps the lei-making tradition alive".Los Angeles Times.
  22. ^"Symbolism of Wearing Hawaiian Flowers".16 December 2015.Retrieved20 December2015.
  23. ^"Equinox Aromatics, LLC - Halmaddi - Ailanthus triphysa - India".Archived fromthe originalon 9 July 2014.Retrieved18 August2015.
  24. ^"Kottegoda, S R, Flowers of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, 1994; pp xiii-xiv".Archived fromthe originalon 9 August 2011.Retrieved7 September2010.
  25. ^Knappert, Jan (1972).An Anthology of Swahili Love Poetry.University of California Press. p. 93.ISBN0-520-02177-0.
  26. ^Sharma, Garima; Chahar, Maheep K.; Dobhal, Sonal; Sharma, Neelu; Sharma, Tek Chand; Sharma, Mahesh C.; Joshi, Yogesh C.; Dobhal, Mahabeer P. (2011). "Phytochemical Constituents, Traditional Uses, and Pharmacological Properties of the Genus Plumeria".Chemistry.8(8):1357–1369.doi:10.1002/cbdv.201000159.S2CID197211733.
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  • Media related toPlumeriaat Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related toPlumeriaat Wikispecies
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