Plumeria rubura L. | |
Apocynaceae | |
Kallimandharai | |
| Botanical Name | Plumeria rubura L. |
| Synonyms | Plumeria acuminata .W.T. Aiton; Plumeria acutifolia Poir. |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Common Name | English : Pagoda tree / Tamil : Kallimandharai, Malai Arali |
| Distribution | Global : Tropical America and Tropical Asia Indian: Throughout India |
| Description | Small deciduous tree up to 8m height, trunk thick and somewhat succulent with thin grey bark, branches brittle and easily broken, white latex present. Leave simple, lanceolate, thick green, alternate, crowded at the tip of the branch, petiolate, margin entire, lateral nerves parallel, prominent, apex acute. Inflorescence corymbose cymes. Flowers pentamerous, complete, bisexual, actinomorphic, calyx sepals 5 lobed, cupular, subequal, corolla 5 petals, gamopetalous, tubular, pink to creamy white. Stamens 5, epipetalous attached to the base of the tube. Ovary bicarpellary, apocarpous, globular, ovules many, stigma bilobed. Fruit follicle, aggregate, pustulate and seed winged dispersed by wind. |
| Flowering Fruiting period | November - January/ February - April |
| Uses | Planted as ornament in gardens for the fragrant and brightly coloured Flowers. But the plant is poisonous. |
| Medicinal Uses | Flowers and barks used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of fever, Dysentery and Pertussis. It also possesses antibiotic fulvoplumierin that has antimicrobial and hypoglycaemic activity. Flowers also used in the treatment of asthma. |
| Tamil Name | Kallimandharai |