Plumeria rubra

Plumeria rubra Sp. Pl. 209. 1753; Woodson & Schery, Ann. Miss. Bot. Gard. 57(1): 78. 1970; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 16: 154; Nazim. & Qaiser, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 22; P. acuminata W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 2: 70. 1811; P. rubra f. acuminata (W. T. Aiton) Woodson, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 25: 211. 1938; P. rubra var. acuminata (W. T. Aiton) R.S. Rao & Balamani, J. Indian Bot. Soc. 63: 227. 1984; P. acutifolia Poir., Encycl. Suppl. 2: 667. 1812; P. rubra f. acutifolia (Poir.) Woodson, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 25: 211.1938; P. rubra var. acutifolia (Poir.) L.H. Bailey & E.Z. Bailey, Hortus Second.: 576. 1941; P. bicolor Ruiz and Pav., Fl. Peruv. 2: 21. 1799; P. tricolor Ruiz and Pav., Fl. Peruv. 2: 20. 1799.

A small deciduous tree, up to 8 m tall, with thick glabrous branches, branches thick swollen and leafy at tip, leaf scars present. Plant with copious milky juice. Leaves spirally arranged, 15-45 cm x 5-13.5 cm, obovate-oblong, oblong-lanceolate, oblanceolate or elliptical, glaucous adaxially, somewhat pubescent beneath, thickly coriaceous, apex acute or acuminate, margin entire; lateral veins 30-40 pairs, with an intramarginal vein, veins slightly elevated abaxially; petiole 2.5-9 cm long, stout, glabrous; no gland at the apex of petiole. Inflorescence a terminal paniculate cyme with many flowers, 2-3 branched, pedunculate, peduncle about 13 cm long, axes and pedicels red or pale green; densely pubescent. Flowers white with a yellow centre, 4-6.5 cm across, externally tinged with pink, fragrant or flowers red with yellow centre, 10-12 cm across; pedicels 1-3 cm long. Calyx small, ca. 1 mm long eglandular, lobes 5, short, rounded. Corolla white or red with yellow in centre, salverform, lobes 5, white: 3-4.5 cm x 1.5-2.5 cm, red: 6-7 x 2.4-2.7 cm, obliquely spreading; lobes oblong, oblong-lanceolate, apex obtuse; lobes contorted in the bud, overlapping to left; tube cylindrical, ca. 2 cm long, hairy inside, appendages absent, throat naked or hairy. Stamens 5, included, attached near the base of corolla tube; anthers 2.5-3 mm long, oblong or narrowly triangular, free from or connate with stigma, without enlarged connective, dehiscence longitudinal, introrse; filaments very short, ca. 0.5 mm long. Ovary half-inferior/ subsuperior, ovaries 2, free, unilocular, ovules many, multiseriate on each placenta, placentation marginal; style 1, short; stigma with 2-cleft apex. Follicles 2, linear-oblong, 20 cm x 2.5 cm, seeds numerous, with large irregular wing. (Fruits occasionally formed).

Flowering and Fruiting: May to September
Common Names: Temple tree, Pagoda tree, Plumeria; Red flowered: Red Frangipani, Red Paucipan, Red Jasmine; Lal Gulachin (Hindi); White-flowered: Common White Frangipani, Frangipani; Golenchi, Golachin, Champa (Hindi)