Plumeria rubra

Plumeria rubra

The frangipani or red paucipan, red-jasmine, red frangipani, common frangipani, temple tree (Plumeria rubra L., 1753) is a shrub species belonging to the Apocynaceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Subkingdom Tracheobionta,
Spermatophyta superdivision,
Magnoliophyta division,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Subclass Asteridae,
Gentianales Order,
Apocynaceae family,
Subfamily Rauvolfoideae,
Tribe Plumerieae,
Subtribe Plumeriinae,
Genus Plumeria,
P. rubra species.
The terms are synonyms:
– Plumeria acuminata W.T.Aiton;
– Plumeria acutifolia Poir.;
– Plumeria acutifolia var. gasparrinii A.DC.;
– Plumeria angustifolia A.DC.;
– Plumeria arborea Noronha;
– Plumeria arborescens G.Don;
– Plumeria aurantia Endl.;
– Plumeria aurantia Lodd.;
– Plumeria aurantia Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Plumeria aurantiaca Steud.;
– Plumeria bicolor Ruiz & Pav.;
– Plumeria blandfordiana Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Plumeria carinata Ruiz & Pav.;
– Plumeria conspicua G.Don;
– Plumeria gouanii D.Don;
– Plumeria gouanii D.Don ex G.Don;
– Plumeria incarnata Mill.;
– Plumeria incarnata var. milleri (G.Don) A.DC.;
– Plumeria jamesonii Hook.;
– Plumeria kerrii G.Don;
– Plumeria kunthiana Kostel.;
– Plumeria lambertiana Lindl.;
– Plumeria loranthifolia Müll.Arg.;
– Plumeria lutea Ruiz & Pav.;
– Plumeria macrophylla Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Plumeria megaphylla A.DC.;
– Plumeria mexicana Lodd.;
– Plumeria milleri G.Don;
– Plumeria mollis Kunth;
– Plumeria northiana Lodd.;
– Plumeria northiana Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Plumeria purpurea Ruiz & Pav.;
– Plumeria rubra f. acuminata (W.T.Aiton) Woodson;
– Plumeria rubra f. acutifolia (Poir.) Woodson;
– Plumeria rubra f. lutea (Ruiz & Pav.) Woodson;
– Plumeria rubra f. rubra;
– Plumeria rubra f. tricolor (Ruiz & Pav.) Woodson;
– Plumeria rubra f. typica Woodson;
– Plumeria rubra var. acuminata (W.T.Aiton) R.S.Rao & Balamani;
– Plumeria rubra var. acutifolia (Poir.) L.H.Bailey;
– Plumeria tenorii Gasp., 1833;
– Plumeria tenuifolia Lodd.;
– Plumeria tenuifolia Lodd. ex G.Don;
– Plumeria tricolor Ruiz & Pav..

Etymology –
The term Plumeria was dedicated in honor of the French botanist Charles Plumier (1646-1704), monk, explorer and illustrator, scholar of American flora who collected plants from the Caribbean area at the end of the 17th century.
The specific rubra epithet comes from rúbeo rosseggiare, to be red, in reference to the prevailing color of the flowers.
The common name “frangipani” comes from a noble Italian family, a sixteenth-century marquis of which he invented a plumeria-scented perfume.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Plumeria rubra is a plant with a native range of Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Venezuela and extending from Mexico, through Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama), up to the northern part of South America (Colombia and Venezuela).
Furthermore, this plant has been introduced, and has become naturalized, in many Caribbean islands, including Cuba, in Africa (Senegal, islands of the Gulf of Guinea, Madagascar), in Asia (Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands, India (Assam), Nepal, Bhutan, Sunda archipelago and southern China), and in Oceania (Cook Islands, Gilbert Islands, Leeward Islands, Marquesas Islands, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna).
Its natural habitat is in dry, hot areas and dry, rocky lowlands, where it grows in rather dry, often rocky orests and mountain slopes, occasionally in lowlands or bushy savannahs, usually at altitudes between 500 and 1,000 metres, but plants up to 1,500 meters can be found.

Description –
Plumeria rubra is a plant that grows in the form of a large shrub or small tree from 5 to 8 m but which can reach up to 25; it is a deciduous species with a straight trunk, few branches and an open, irregular crown often as wide as the height of the tree.
The leaves are glossy green on the upper side and lighter on the lower side, they are arranged in a spiral at the apex of the branches; they are simple, 15 to 30 cm long and 4 to 8 cm wide, lanceolate or elliptical in shape and with an entire margin.
The flowers are hermaphrodite, born in panicles in the axils of the new leaves; they measure between 15 and 30 cm, with greenish sepals and white petals with a pale yellow centre. However, in cultivation there are forms with flowers that can be yellow, or in various shades of pink or purple and are very fragrant.
It flowers from June to November.
The fruits are glabrous, elongated (25 to 30 cm), pendulous, yellowish-green to orange pods that contain large numbers of winged dark brown seeds.

Cultivation –
Plumeria rubra is often used as an herbal remedy. It is one of the most common and well-known ornamental trees grown in the tropics and is often planted near Asian temples, where the fragrant flowers are collected daily as religious offerings.
These plants are typical of warm, dry to moderate rainy areas at elevations of up to 600 meters and grow in climates with a pronounced dry season, when they are deciduous and flower on bare branches, as well as in more humid conditions when they remain evergreen.
These plants do not grow well in moist soils and in areas with temperatures below 10 °C during the winter seasons, when the plants will stop flowering and lose their leaves. The plants are widely available in nurseries as well as in gardens and streets and parks; they are also planted in temples and cemeteries.
It is one of the easiest plants to grow, it is adaptable to most soil conditions although it prefers fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny position; moreover they are plants very tolerant to brackish winds and saline soil conditions.
This species is cultivated in the lowlands and yungas of Bolivia, the coastal and Andean regions of Ecuador, and the Amazonian and Andean regions of Peru, where it inhabits disturbed areas. P. rubra has been introduced to many countries and islands, including South Africa, Yemen, Chad and Burundi. It is found everywhere in Myanmar except in very cool mountainous regions. It has also been introduced to both China and Pakistan and has become naturalized in the Analamanga and Betsiboka regions of Madagascar.
However, the species is cultivated all over the world in subtropical and tropical climates. In Australia, it is grown extensively in Sydney and Perth and in warmer frost-free climates further north. In the continental United States, it tolerates USDA hardiness zones 10B through 11 (southern coastal California and the southern tip of Florida). It is also grown in Hawaii up to an elevation of 2000m.
In temperate zones P. rubra must be grown in a greenhouse, large conservatory or similar, due to its requirement for warm conditions. However it can be placed outdoors in a sheltered and sunny place during the summer months.
From the soft and thick branches, if broken, an abundant latex comes out.
Propagation can be by seed or, agamically, by stem tip cuttings. We recommend allowing these cuttings to dry out for several days before rooting them in a cool, shady position, in well-drained medium kept on the dry side until roots have formed.
Furthermore, some forms in cultivation are hybrids between this species and Plumeria obtusa; these have rounded rather than pointed leaves and are less deciduous.

Customs and Traditions –
Plumeria rubra is a plant known by various names also due to the vast area where it grows spontaneously or where it has naturalized or is cultivated.
In Mexico the common name is cacaloxóchitl or cacaloxúchitl. The name comes from Nahuatl and means “raven flower”.
In Spanish it is known as alhelí, alhelí cimarrón and suche. The term melia is of Hawaiian origin. In the Cook Islands, it is known as tipani. It is widely cultivated in the southern and western parts of India where it is called champa or a derivative of it like chaaphaa, champige, etc. It is also called champa in Pakistan. In Cambodia they are given the names châmpéi krahâ:m (also romanized as krahom, meaning ‘red’), or châmpéi slük sruëch, while the French term for the species is frangipanier à fleurs rouges. In Sri Lanka, it is known as araliya in Sinhala. It is known by many names in Brazil, including jasmim-de-caiena, jasmin-do-pará and jasmin-manga. Another name it has in Portuguese is flor-de-Santo-Antônio. In Myanmar, it is referred to as mawk-sam-ka, mawk-sam-pailong and sonpabataing. In China it has the common name ji dan hua and in the United States it is referred to as bouquet. In the Philippines it is known as kalachuchi.
P. rubra was also declared the national flower of Nicaragua in 1971, where it is known as sacuanjoche.
It is also the flower of Asan-Maina village in Guam.
The sacuanjoche appeared on the left side of the reverse of the 100 Córdobas banknotes (the currency of the Nicaragua), Serie C of 1972, as well as on the banknotes of the series E and F respectively 1979 and 1984. On the straight of the banknotes of the three series, the effigy of General José Dolores Estrada Vado appears, winner of the American filibusters, by William Walker, in the battle of San Jacinto 185 185 185 6.
In 1990 it reappeared on the reverse of the 1, 5, 10 and 25 cents (small denomination) and ½ córdoba (large denomination) banknotes. On the reverse of the latter denomination, on the right side of the central element appeared 0.50 córdoba, below which is the phrase “Work is your worthy laurel”, taken from the national anthem Salve a ti, by the poet Salomón Ibarra Mayorga, with his name below. On the left side is the Shield of Nicaragua. On the obverse is the effigy of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, founder of the cities of León and Granada in 1524.
The flowers of this plant are used in Cambodia, as with other Plumeria species, to make necklaces, as offerings to deities or as decoration for coffins. The leaves of this species are used in the treatment of sores and transformed into soothing infusions. The flowers and its bark are also used in traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of fever, bacillary dysentery, whooping cough and so on.
P. rubra possesses fulvoplumierin, an antibiotic that inhibits the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The plant has also been shown to be an antifungal, antiviral, analgesic, antispasmodic, and hypoglycemic agent.
P. rubra is also said to contain agoniadin, plumieride, plumeric acid, cerotinic acid, and lupeol, and the stem possesses an alkaloid called a triterpinoid.
The plant is known to promote digestion and excretion, along with respiratory and immune functions. The sap of the plant is used as a laxative and is a remedy for bloating and stomach pain. The bark is said to be purgative and is also used for venereal sores. The flowers can be boiled in water or juice and made into a salad to promote bowel movement, urine flow, and to control gas and phlegm. The flowers are also used in the treatment of asthma.
On the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian archipelago, P. rubra is grown to make neck wreaths. These plants are also used to make a perfume oil on many Pacific islands which include Hawaii. The flowers are used to perfume coconut oil. The bark has soft purplish streaks and the wood is hard and compact with a very fine texture. The wood takes on a high polish.
This plant is, however, poisonous, so much so that the USDA Forest Service lists Plumeria rubra as a poisonous plant and warns against touching or eating any part of the plant.
Among other uses, it should be remembered that an essential oil is obtained from the flowers.
The wood is used in some regions for turning articles.

Method of Preparation –
The latex found in the stems of Plumeria rubra is toxic but not fatal if not taken in large quantities.
Of the edible uses, however, the flowers are eaten in desserts.
In medicinal use this plant is known to contain a number of medically active components and has been shown to be a uterine stimulant, antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral, analgesic, antispasmodic and hypoglycemic.
The bark is prepared as an abortifacient and purgative.
The juice from the bark is considered an effective treatment for gonorrhea and venereal sores. The scraped bark is used to treat scabies and poisonous fish wounds.
The juice from the bark is also used to treat amoebic dysentery.
A poultice of leaves is used to treat muscle swelling.
Latex is used to treat boils and rheumatic pains; it is also applied to remove worms or germs from wounds; it is also used to treat toothache.
The sap is used to treat wasp and bee stings, as well as centipede bites.
A decoction of the flowers is used in the treatment of cough, constipation, acute enteritis, dysentery and hemophilia.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/281631315/original.jpeg

Attention: The pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not in any way represent a medical prescription; we therefore decline all responsibility for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.