Plumeria

Plumeria
Plumeria sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Subfamily:	Rauvolfioideae
Tribe:	Plumerieae
Genus:	Plumeria L.[1]
Synonyms[2]
Plumieria Scop.

Plumeria (/pluːˈmɛriə/; common name plumeria) is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae.^[1] It contains primarily deciduous shrubs and small trees. They are native to Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America as far south as Brazil but can be grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions.^[2][3]

Description

Plumeria is related to the Oleander, Nerium oleander, and both possess an irritant, rather similar to that of Euphorbia. Contact with the sap may irritate eyes and skin.^[4] Each of the separate species of Plumeria bears differently shaped alternate leaves with distinct form and growth habits. The leaves of P. alba are quite 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 non-deciduous, 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.

Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers have no nectar, however, and simply dupe their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.

Plumeria species may be propagated easily from cuttings of leafless stem tips in spring. Cuttings are allowed to dry at the base before planting in well-drained soil. Cuttings are particularly susceptible to rot in moist soil.

In order to get the most from a plumeria plant with respect to growth, size, blooms, and scent, there is a fine balance that must be maintained. Ideally, a plumeria is in its element when it can have plenty of sun and appropriate water, so as to maintain soil moistness just above a state of dryness. On the other hand, if the plant receives a lesser amount of sun, then a lesser amount of watering is necessary - again, to ensure that soil moistness stays just above the dry state. The more sun, the more water. The less sun, the less water. A common mistake of novice plumeria growers is to over-water the plant when it is not able to be exposed to enough sun, thereby resulting in a rotted root system. Conversely, if a plumeria plant is able to receive maximum exposure to the sun, but they aren't watered enough, the plant will die.

Propagation can also be by tissue culture from cuttings of freshly elongated stems or aseptically germinated seed. Pruning is best accomplished in the winter for deciduous varieties, or when cuttings are desired.

There are more than 300 named varieties of Plumeria.{American Plumeria society, Florida.

Etymology and common names

The genus is named in honor of the seventeenth-century French botanist Charles Plumier, who traveled to the New World documenting many plant and animal species.^[5] The common name "frangipani" comes from a sixteenth-century marquess of the noble family in Italy who invented a plumeria-scented perfume. Many English speakers also simply use the generic name "plumeria".

In Persian, the name is "yas" or "yasmin". In India, the name is "champa" , In Marathi "Chafa" ,In Telugu "Deva ganneru" (divine nerium), in Manipuri "Khagi Leihao" . In Hawaii, the name is "melia", although common usage is still "plumeria". In Sri Lanka, it is referred to as araliya and (in English) as the Temple Tree. In Cantonese, it is known as 'gaai daan fa' or the 'egg yolk flower' tree. The name 'Leelawadee' (originating from Thai)^[6][7] is found occasionally. In Indonesia, where the flower has been commonly associated with Balinese culture, it is known as "Kamboja". In French Polynesia it is called a Tiare tree.

In culture

In Mesoamerica Plumerias have carried complex symbolic significance for over 2000 years, with striking examples from the Maya and Aztec periods into the present.^[8]

Frangipani trunk in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Leaves

Flowering tree of Plumeria rubra decorating a garden in Tel Aviv, Israel.

These are now common naturalised plants in southern and southeastern Asia. In local folk beliefs they provide shelter to ghosts and demons. The scent of the Plumeria has been associated with a vampire in Malay folklore, the pontianak; frangipani trees are often planted in cemeteries. They are associated with temples in both Hindu and Buddhist cultures.

In several Pacific islands, such as Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga, and the Cook Islands Plumeria species are used for making leis.^[9] 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.^[10]

P. rubra is the national flower of Nicaragua, where it is known under the local name "Sacuanjoche" and P. alba is the national flower of Laos, where it is known under the local name "Shampa".

In some Bengali culture most white flowers, and, in particular, plumeria (Bengali, চম্পা chômpa or চাঁপা chãpa), are associated with funerals and death.

In the Philippines and Indonesia, Plumeria, which is known in Tagalog as Kalachuchi, often is associated with ghosts and graveyards.^[11] Plumerias often are planted on cemetery grounds in both countries. They are also common ornamental plants in houses, parks, parking lots, etc. in the Philippines. Balinese Hindus use the flowers in their temple offerings.

In Malaysia, the plumeria's scent is known to be associated with the pontianak.

Indian incenses fragranced with Plumeria (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.^[12]

In the dialect of Kannada spoken in the Old Mysore region of Karnataka of southern India, the flower is called DevagaNagale. In the Western Ghats of Karnataka, the local people use cream colored Plumeria in weddings. The groom and bride exchange Plumeria garland at the wedding. It is alternatively called Devaganagalu or Devakanagalu (God's Plumeria). 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 5-petalled flower in her right hand that is indistinguishable from Plumeria.^[13]

In Eastern Africa, frangipani are sometimes referred to in Swahili love poems.^[14]

Some species of Plumeria have been studied for their potential medicinal value.^[15]

Literary occurrences

• 1819 - P. B. Shelley "The champak odours fail / Like sweet thoughts in a dream," line from "Indian Serenade".^[16]
• 1884 - In Huysmans's "À rebours" the persistent odor of frangipani troubles Jean des Esseintes.
• 1890 - In Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lord Henry's wife's perfume leaves the scent of frangipani to linger in the room, likely referencing the work of Huysmans.
• 1893 - Joe T. Giles incorporates a phrase from a sports yell, "Gloriana, Frangipana", into the song Hail to Old IU, which would become the official Indiana University Alma Mater (song). The phrase was coined by an undergraduate, Ernest H. Lindley, to rhyme with "Indiana". Lindley, a pharmacist's son, knew of Frangipana as the fragrance of a popular soap sold in his father's store.^[17]
• 1905 - Sarojini Naidu "Where upon the champa boughs the champa buds are blowing;" line from the poem entitled 'Village-Song' from her collection entitled The Golden Threshold.^[18]
• 1913 - Rabindranath Tagore story entitled 'The Champa Flower' from the collection Crescent Moon.^[19][20]
• 1957 - Doris Lessing's short story Flight, from her collection 'The Habit of Loving' includes several references to the frangipani tree - "Her hair fell down her back in a wave of sunlight, and her long bare legs repeated the angles of the frangipani stems; bare, shining-brown stems among patterns of pale blossoms."^[21]
• 1977 - The song Winter in America by Australian singer/songwriter Doug Ashdown contains the line "The Frangipani opens up to kiss the salty air".
• 1977 - In The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Pinkwater, the main character, Mr. Plumbean, "planted palm trees, baobabs, thorn bushes, onions, and frangipani" in order to make his house and yard "look like all [his] dreams." ^[22]
• 1978 - Panama novel by Thomas McGuane "But I looked down through spinning air filled with frangipani and rock and roll and saw how quickly you are alone..."
• 1985 - The book "Perfume", the character Baldini wears it
• 1996 - "Under the Frangipani" (A Varanda do Frangipani) by Mozambican Mia Couto,^[23] who allegorises the passage of time as the shedding of the tree's flowers and the protagonists' departure from their shattered world as merging into the tree's roots.
• 1986-"Frangipani House" by Beryl Gilroy
• 1999- Tori Amos mentions Frangipani in her song "Datura" released on her album To Venus and Back referring to what she had in her garden that was destroyed.
• 2011 - "The Pink House at Appleton" novel by Jonathan Braham "He drove where the frangipani grew wild, where the estate trees were not pruned and where Boyd had once been with Vincent." ISBN 978-1-84876-745-4

Species

Accepted species^[2]

1. Plumeria alba L. - Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles
2. Plumeria clusioides Griseb. (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa L.^[24]) - Cuba
3. Plumeria cubensis Urb. (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa L.^[24]) - Cuba
4. Plumeria ekmanii Urb. (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa L.^[24]) - Cuba
5. Plumeria emarginata Griseb. (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa L.^[24]) - Cuba
6. Plumeria filifolia Griseb. - Cuba
7. Plumeria inodora Jacq. - Guyana, Colombia, Venezuela (incl Venezuelan islands in Caribbean)
8. Plumeria krugii Urb. (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa L.^[24]) - Puerto Rico
9. Plumeria lanata Britton (a synonym of Plumeria obtusa var. sericifolia (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Woodson ^[25]) - Cuba
10. Plumeria magna Zanoni & M.M.Mejía - Dominican Republic
11. Plumeria montana Britton & P.Wilson (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa L.^[24]) - Cuba
12. Plumeria obtusa L. - West Indies including Bahamas; southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Florida; naturalized in China
13. Plumeria pudica Jacq. - Panama, Colombia, Venezuela (incl Venezuelan islands in Caribbean)
14. Plumeria rubra L. - Mexico, Central America, Venezuela; naturalized in China, the Himalayas, West Indies, South America, and numerous oceanic islands
15. Plumeria sericifolia C.Wright ex Griseb. (now demoted to Plumeria obtusa var. sericifolia (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Woodson ^[25]) - Cuba
16. Plumeria × stenopetala Urb.
17. Plumeria × stenophylla Urb. - Mexico and Central America
18. Plumeria subsessilis A.DC. - Hispaniola
19. Plumeria trinitensis Britton (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa var. sericifolia (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Woodson ^[25]) - Cuba
20. Plumeria tuberculata G.Lodd. (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa var. sericifolia (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Woodson ^[25]) - Hispaniola, Bahamas
21. Plumeria venosa Britton (now a synonym of Plumeria obtusa L.^[24]) - Cuba

Formerly included in genus^[2]

1. Plumeria ambigua Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
2. Plumeria angustiflora Spruce ex Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus attenuatus (Benth.) Woodson
3. Plumeria articulata Vahl = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
4. Plumeria attenuata Benth = Himatanthus attenuatus (Benth.) Woodson
5. Plumeria bracteata A.DC. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
6. Plumeria drastica Mart. = Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel
7. Plumeria fallax Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel
8. Plumeria floribunda var floribunda = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
9. Plumeria floribunda var. acutifolia Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
10. Plumeria floribunda var. calycina Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
11. Plumeria floribunda var. crassipes Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
12. Plumeria hilariana Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
13. Plumeria lancifolia Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
14. Plumeria latifolia Pilg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
15. Plumeria martii Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
16. Plumeria microcalyx Standl. = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
17. Plumeria mulongo Benth. = Himatanthus attenuatus (Benth.) Woodson
18. Plumeria obovata Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
19. Plumeria oligoneura Malme = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
20. Plumeria phagedaenica Benth. ex Müll.Arg. 1860 not Mart. 1831 = Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel
21. Plumeria phagedaenica Mart. 1831 not Benth. ex Müll.Arg. 1860= Himatanthus phagedaenicus (Mart.) Woodson
22. Plumeria puberula Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
23. Plumeria retusa Lam. = Tabernaemontana retusa (Lam.) Pichon
24. Plumeria revoluta Huber = Himatanthus stenophyllus Plumel
25. Plumeria speciosa Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus bracteatus (A.DC.) Woodson
26. Plumeria sucuuba Spruce ex Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus articulatus (Vahl) Woodson
27. Plumeria tarapotensis K.Schum. ex Markgr. = Himatanthus tarapotensis (K.Schum. ex Markgr.) Plumel
28. Plumeria velutina Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson
29. Plumeria warmingii Müll.Arg. = Himatanthus obovatus (Müll.Arg.) Woodson

Gallery

• 

  Red frangipani found in Malaysia.

• 

  Red frangipani found in Malaysia.

• 

  Plumeria in the Jardin des Plantes de Lille, Lille, France.

• 

  Plumeria found in Bangalore, India

• 

  Pink frangipani

• 

  White Plumeria, found at Andhra Pradesh

• 

  White Plumeria, Kozhikode, Kerala

• 

  Plumeria rubra in Israel

• 

  Plumeria (Indian Champa) in Surat, India

• 

  Metering

See also

• Adenium

References

1. "Genus: Plumeria L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2003-03-14. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
2. "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Retrieved May 18, 2014.
3. Urs Eggli, ed. (2002). Illustrated Handbook on Succulent Plants. 5: Dicotyledons. Springer. p. 16. ISBN 978-3-540-41966-2.
4. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). Ornamentals and Flowers. Feb. 1998. OF-24.
5. "Zumbroich, Thomas J. 2013. 'Plumerias the Color of Roseate Spoonbills'- Continuity and Transition in the Symbolism of Plumeria L. in Mesoamerica. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 11:341-363". Retrieved 2015-04-15.
6. "KohSamui-Info". Retrieved 2012-10-05.
7. "The Lantom or Leelawadee Flowering Tree of Thailand". Thailand-travel-guide.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
8. "Zumbroich, Thomas J. 2013. 'Plumerias the Color of Roseate Spoonbills'- Continuity and Transition in the Symbolism of Plumeria L. in Mesoamerica. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 11:341-363". Retrieved 2015-03-10.
9. Jones, Jay (April 22, 2008). "Hawaii keeps the lei-making tradition alive". Los Angeles Times.
10. "Symbolism of Wearing Hawaiian Flowers". Retrieved 2015-12-20.
11. Bautista, Norby (April 22, 2015). "The summer blooming of the Kalachuchi". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
12. "Equinox Aromatics, LLC - Halmaddi - Ailanthus triphysa - India". Retrieved 18 August 2015.
13. Kottegoda, S R, Flowers of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, 1994; pp xiii-xiv
14. Knappert, Jan (1972) An Anthology of Swahili Love Poetry, University of California Press, page 93. ISBN 0-520-02177-0
15. "Phytochemical Constituents, Traditional Uses, and Pharmacological Properties of the Genus Plumeria". Chemistry 8: 1357–1369. doi:10.1002/cbdv.201000159.
16. Poetry-archive.com
17. "Fast Facts...". Retrieved 18 August 2015.
18. "The Golden Threshold". Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
19. Sacred-texts.com
20. Tagore, Rabindranath (1913, new edition 2007) Crescent Moon — Child Poems, Standard Publications Inc, ISBN 1-59462-738-X
21. Lessing, Doris (1957) The Habit of Loving, Crowell. ISBN 0-261-61606-4
22. Pinkwater, Daniel (1977) The Big Orange Splot, Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0-590-44510-3
23. Couto, Mia (1996) A Varanda do Frangipani: Romance (Uma Terra Sem Amos), Caminho. ISBN 972-21-1050-0
24. http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-161613 The Plant List (RBG, Kew, MBG) access date: 2015-02-26
25. http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-161615 The Plant List (RBG, Kew, MBG) access date: 2015-02-26

External links

• Plumeria at DMOZ