| Binomial |
Plumeria obtusa L. |
| Family |
Apocynaceae |
| Tamil name |
பெருங்கள்ளி (Perunkalli) |
| Habit |
Small tree/shrub, irregularly crowned |
| Bark |
Greyish brown, generally smooth with rough bark at places, highly branched |
| Flowers |
Five petals, large, funnel shaped, white from outside and yellow from inside,
fragrant, arranged in cymes |
| Fruits |
Pods long, usually dry with brittle covering |
| Flowering period |
July to September |
| Pollinators |
Moths |
| Native to Tropical America |
The tree is mainly grown as an ornamental, grown for its flowers. In many islands of the Pacific, women can discreetly declare their marital status by placing the flower on their right ear if they are single and in their left if they are married. The flowers are also used in aromatherapy, cosmetics, in necklaces and as offerings. The name, frangipani, comes from the Italian nobleman, Marquis Frangipani, who created a perfume used to scent gloves in the 16th century. When the frangipani flower was discovered its natural perfume reminded people of the scented gloves, and so the flower was called frangipani. In Caribbean cultures the leaves are used as poultices (a healing wrap) for bruises and ulcers and the latex is used as a liniment for rheumatism. In India the frangipani is a symbol of immortality because of its ability to produce leaves and flowers even after it has been lifted out of the soil. It is often planted near temples and graveyards, where the fresh flowers fall daily upon the tombs. |
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