Templetree

Widely cultivated for medicine and as ornamental. The flowers are used for the treatment of dysentery. The small, white-flowered form is more valued medicinally in China than other forms of the species.

Shrubs or under tree, bark rough, branches thick, cylindrical, glabrous, swollen and leafy at the tips, leaf scars present. Leaves spirally aranged, obovate-oblong, c. 15-30 x 5-10 cm, acute at both ends, entire, glabrous above, somewhat pubescent beneath, thickly coriaceous, midrib prominent and thickened, lateral nerves numerous; petiole 2.5-3.75 cm long, with gland at the apex. Inflorescence a terminal cyme. Flower white with a yellow centre, c. 5 cm across, externally tinged with pink, fragrant, peduncle c. 12.5 cm long. Calyx small, eglandular; lobes short, rounded. Corolla salvershaped. Fruit a follicle c. 12 cm long, cylindrical.

Trees to 8 m tall. Bark pale green, smooth, thin. Petiole to 7 cm; leaf blade elliptic to very narrowly so, 14-30 X 6-8 cm, glaucous adaxially, apex acute or acuminate; lateral veins 30-40 pairs, slightly elevated abaxially. Corolla tinged with pink or purple at least outside, 4-6 cm in diam.; lobes pink, yellow, or white, with a yellow base, 3-4.5 X 1.5-2.5 cm, obliquely spreading. Follicles oblong, 11-25 X 2-3 cm. Fl. Mar-Sep, fr. Jun-Dec. 2n = 36.

Distribution: Probably a native of central America, Mexico and Guetemala. Cultivated in Pakistan.

Fl. Per.: May-Sep.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan [native to Mexico and Central America]

Plumeria acuminata Aiton; P. acutifolia Poiret; P. rubra var. acutifolia (Poiret) L. H. Bailey.