The plant
Plumeria is placed in the family Apocynaceae, in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae. The genus includes 18 accepted species and one natural hybrid. The species are native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northwestern South America, but are often grown as ornamental plants in tropical regions. Plumeria rubra grows as a spreading shrub or small tree to a height of 2-8 m. Its flowers have five petals, and their colours range from the common pink to white with shades of yellow in the centre. The trunk and branches of Plumeria species have a milky latex sap that contains poisonous compounds irritating the eyes and skin.
Plumeria alba is native to Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles, and Plumeria obtusa to the West Indies, southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. The native range of Plumeria rubra extends from Baja California into central Mexico and south through Central America, and the species has become naturalized in most parts of tropical Asia and the Pacific Islands. Plumeria alba is a small deciduous tree up to 7.6 m tall, with white flowers that have a yellow centre. Plumeria obtusa is a small tree 3.0-4.6 m tall, with white flowers that have yellow throats.
Scent chemistry
Open flowers of plumeria grown in Singapore emitted 35 compounds, among which phenylpropanoids and benzenoids (70.1%) outweighed terpenoids (20.8%). In the volatiles of open flowers, 2-phenylethanol made up 35.67% and benzaldehyde 11.77%. 2-Phenylethanol is likely of major importance to the typical scent of plumeria flowers. It and 2-phenylacetaldehyde are among the major components of essential oils from different varieties of plumeria grown in Brazil, Hawaii and Nigeria. Floral buds emit mainly terpenoids, such as eucalyptol, and leaves emit mainly monoterpenoids, such as β-ocimene. Across leaves, floral buds and open flowers, 43 emitted compounds were found in total. Unlike rose and petunia, plumeria makes 2-phenylethanol with a flower-specific cytochrome P450 enzyme named PrCYP79D73.
The flower oil of Plumeria obtusa from peninsular Malaysia is rich in benzyl salicylate and benzyl benzoate. The oil of P. acuminata, a yellow-flowered plant, is rich in palmitic, linoleic, lauric and myristic acids. The oil of pink-flowered P. rubra is devoid of benzyl salicylate and benzyl benzoate and rich in alkanoic acids. The oil of orange-flowered P. rubra contains benzyl salicylate, benzyl benzoate and 2-phenylethyl benzoate as well as alkanoic acids. It had the highest concentration of (E)-nerolidol and geraniol among the species studied.
Cultural use
Plumeria rubra is an important crop in Hawaii, with over 14 million flowers sold to be used in leis there in 2005. In Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii and other Pacific islands, Plumeria species are used for making leis. Balinese Hindus use the flowers in their temple offerings. Plumeria rubra is the national flower of Laos, where it is known as dok champa, and of Nicaragua, where it is known as sacuanjoche. In Hinduism it connotes devotion and eternity, and it is often planted near Hindu temples. The flowers of Plumeria alba are edible and eaten as fritters.
History
The name Plumeria was first used by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1700, but was not formally published until 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. Tournefort created the name in honour of Charles Plumier. Plumeria rubra was introduced into the Philippines in the 1560s, during the Spanish colonial period. The common name frangipani comes from the Italian Frangipani family. The Frangipani character and its accompanying story were concocted by Piesse and some associates to drive up commercial interest in his products.
—
Related: Amazon Moonflower · Angels Trumpet · Champaca · Champaca Absolute · Frangipani · Frangipani Absolute · Gardenia · Hedione
