THE CUBA R E T / E W 



19 



The Flowers of Frangipani 



as a whole is remarkable in so far that its 1,000 or more species are confined largeh^ to 

 the tropical regions, and that by far the greater number of them contain poisonous al- 

 kaloids or glucocides, and all of them have a milky sap in the inner bark. WTiile the family 

 contains a number of species of considerable economic importance those of Plumieria 

 are without doubt the most generally known kinds, and without attempting to enumerate 

 all the varieties of frangipani trees that have been described and named, it may suffice 

 to list the following as being the most common : White East Indian frangipani (P. acumi- 

 nata), white West Indian frangipani (P. alba), DonzeUa (P. pudica), red nosegay (P. 

 rubra) and purple frangipani (P. purpuria). 



The oleander bush {Nerium oleander), which was introduced from India into aU 

 parts of the tropical world several centuries ago, is a close relative to the frangipani and 

 will serve to illustrate in a general way the characteristic features of the Plumieria species, 

 all of which are rendered so conspicuous by their thick, fleshy branches that are naked 

 except at the ends where the alternate leaves form tufts. The leaves are smooth, shining, 

 of a bright green color and beautifully veined. The flowers are salver-shaped, and occur 

 in large terminal corymbose clusters, and, according to the species producing them, are 

 white, yeUow, red or purple. All the species of Plumieria produce very sho'tty flowers, 

 which is one of the reasons why they are such favorites with gardeners. Moreover, they 

 blossom all the year round and are generally selected for planting near churches and in 

 burial grounds, and are often caUed temple flowers and graveyard flowers. The most 

 attractive feature about the best known kinds is the fact that the flowers are so exquisitely 

 scented. 



Among the finest of them is the white East Indian variety, wliich has flowers that are 

 white mixed with red on the outside and yellow on the inside of the tubular corollas. This 

 plant is a constant ornament in all the gardens of China, Cochin-China and the Dutch 



