FRANGIPANI (Plumeria Sp.)
Originating from Mexico, it was brought across the Pacific by the Spaniards because of its medicinal value. This small to medium sized tree was named after French botanist and Francescan monk Charles Plumier who made three voyages to the Caribbean area in the 17th century. It has acquired many different names like Dead Man’s Fingers (Australia) , Jasmin De Cayenne ( Brazil ) and the Pagoda or Temple Tree (India). The beautiful fragrant five petal flowers are often used as offerings in both Buddhist and Hindu ceremonies. Plumeria Obtusa or Great Frangipani with its white flowers and yellowish center is often planted in Muslim cemeteries in Malaysia and Indonesia and used to make wreaths. Caribbean women use the flowers to scent their hair, linen and clothes.
In Java and Madura, the frangipani is used as a diuretic for the treatment of venereal disease and a remedy for skin complaints and intermittent fever. The bark of the Plumeria Rubra is used to treat gonorrhea. The leaves are used as a
poultice for bruises and ulcers, and the latex as a liniment for rheumatism. Common Frangipani or Plumeria Rubra has red petals with the outside usually tinted with pink. The petals curl inwards, which makes it different from the Great
Frangipani.
Do you know…the origin of the name Frangipani. According to one story, it was named after Mercutio Frangipani, the botanist on Columbus’s famous voyage of 1492, who first noted this flower fragrance from which his Italian relatives created the jasmine-like perfume ; Another story claims that the poisonous thick white latex that flows from a cut in the tree reminded French settlers in the Caribbean of “frangipanier’ or coagulated milk.
In Java and Madura, the frangipani is used as a diuretic for the treatment of venereal disease and a remedy for skin complaints and intermittent fever. The bark of the Plumeria Rubra is used to treat gonorrhea. The leaves are used as a
poultice for bruises and ulcers, and the latex as a liniment for rheumatism. Common Frangipani or Plumeria Rubra has red petals with the outside usually tinted with pink. The petals curl inwards, which makes it different from the Great
Frangipani.
Do you know…the origin of the name Frangipani. According to one story, it was named after Mercutio Frangipani, the botanist on Columbus’s famous voyage of 1492, who first noted this flower fragrance from which his Italian relatives created the jasmine-like perfume ; Another story claims that the poisonous thick white latex that flows from a cut in the tree reminded French settlers in the Caribbean of “frangipanier’ or coagulated milk.