Plumeria alba

Plumeria alba is a species of the genus Plumeria (Apocynaceae). This 2-8m deciduous shrub has narrow elongated leaves, large and strongly perfumed white flowers with a yellow center. Native to Central America and the Caribbean, it is now common and naturalized in southern and southeastern Asia. It is the national flower of Laos, known as Dok Champa and the symbol of luck.

Plumeria alba
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Plumeria
Species:
P. alba
Binomial name
Plumeria alba
Synonyms[2]
  • Plumeria revolutifolia Stokes

Common names

Uses

P. alba is often cultivated as an ornamental plant. In Cambodia pagodas especially choose this shrub, with the flowers used in ritual offerings to the deities, they are sometimes used to make necklaces which decorate coffins.[3] In addition, the flowers are edible and eaten as fritters, while the heart of the wood is part of a traditional medical preparation taken as a vermifuge or as a laxative.

  • Flowers
  • Illustration
  • Foliage with Pseudosphinx caterpillars
  • Plumeria alba flower, Bangalore, India
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References
  1. "Plumeria alba". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  2. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  3. Dy Phon Pauline, 2000, Plants Utilised In Cambodia, printed by Imprimirie Olympic, Phnom Penh


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