PLUMERIA

Plumeria Tourn. ex L., Sp. Pl. 209. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 99. 1754; DC., Prodr. 8: 389. 1844; Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Pl. 2: 704. 1876; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 641. 1882; Bailey, St. Cyclop. Hort. 3: 2722. 1950; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bomb. 2: 142. 1904; Talbot, For. Fl. Bomb. Pres. Sind 2: 213. 1911; Woodson & Schery, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 57(1): 76. 1970; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 16: 153; Nazim. & Qaiser, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 22. .

Mostly lactiferous shrubs, sometimes trees. Stem usually fistular. Branchlets 2-3 cm thick, nearly fleshy. Leaves alternate, long petioled, mostly clustered at the tips of branches, penni- nerved, usually glandular in the axils, petiolar or subsessile. Inflorescence of axillary or terminal dichotomous cymes, corymbose or thyrsiform. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, hypogynous, large showy, fragrant, waxy, with large deciduous bracts. Calyx 5-lobed, glandular outside, eglandular inside, lobes equal or subequal. Corolla salverform or funnelform, lobes 5, spreading, contorted in bud, lobes overlapping to left, thick with cylindrical tube, hairy inside, appendages absent, throat naked. Stamens 5, included, attached near the base of corolla tube, free from stigma, connective not enlarged. Disc absent or present, fleshy, usually covering the calyx tube. Carpels 2, free; ovaries 2 subsuperior, free, each ovary unilocular, ovules many, multiseriate on each placenta, placentation marginal; style 1, short; stigma with 2-cleft apex. Follicles 2, linear-oblong. Seeds numerous, with large irregular wing.

19 species

Plumeria obtusa

Plumeria obtusa L., Sp. Pl. 1: 210. 1753; DC., Prodr. 8: 389. 1844; Brandis, For. Fl. 325. 1974; Benth. & Hook. f., Gen. Pl. 2: 642. 1876; Bailey, St. Cyclop. Hort. 3: 2722. 1950; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. 335. 1918; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vascular. Pl. W. Pak. and Kashm. 565. 1972; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 16: 154; Nazim. & Qaiser, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 24.

A small evergreen tree with copious milky juice, up to 5 m tall. Branches pale green, thick, fleshy, widely spaced. Leaves spirally arranged confined to tip of branches, 19-35 cm x 8-12 cm, obovate to narrowly so, dark green shiny adaxially; pubescent abaxially especially on the midrib and veins; apex rounded or retuse; margin entire; lateral veins 28-35 pairs, with an intramarginal vein, tertiary venation strongly prominent abaxially; petiole 8-12 cm, pubescent, stout. Inflorescence a terminal paniculate cyme, many-flowered; peduncle 25-29 cm long; pedicels of variable length up to 2 cm. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, 5-merous, white with a yellow centre, with or without pink tinge outside, 8-9 cm across. Calyx small, eglandular, lobes 5, short, ca. 2 mm long, rounded. Corolla 8-9 cm across, salverform, white with yellow centre; tube 2-2.5 cm x ca. 4 mm, cylindrical, densely hairy inside, throat hairy and yellow; lobes 5, ca. 5 cm x 2.2 cm, spreading, slightly obliquely obovate or oblanceolate, apex obliquely truncate or rounded, slightly recurved; lobes contorted in bud, overlapping to left; appendages absent. Stamens 5, included, attached near the base of corolla tube, free from stigma, without enlarged connective; anthers oblong-lanceolate, apiculate, ca. 2.5 mm long; filaments short ca. 0.5 mm long. Carpels 2; ovaries 2, free, half-inferior/subsuperior, hemispherical, unilocular, ovules many, multiseriate on each placenta, placentation marginal; style 1, 1-1.5 mm long; pistil head with 2-cleft apex.

Follicles 2, linear oblong, 20 cm x 2.5 cm. Seeds numerous, with large irregular wings. (Fruits not observed)

Flowering and Fruiting: May to September
Common Names: : Frangipani, White Frangipani, Great White Frangipani, Pagoda tree, Singapore Frangipani, Singapore Graveyard Flower, Temple tree, Chempaka; Gulchin, Champa (Hindi)