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, 03:28, 13 October 2008
[[Image:Plumeria alba flowers.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Plumeria]] bloom]]'''''[[Plumeria]]''''' (common name '''Frangipani'''; [[syn.]] ''Himatanthus'' [[Willd.]] ex [[Roem.]] & [[Schult.]]) is a small genus of 7-8 handsome and useful species native to tropical and subtropical [[Americas]]. Open plants have leathery, pointed leaves at the ends of the branches. Flowers during warm seasons, and give clusters of large, showy, waxy flowers with a strong perfume. ''Plumeria'' is related to the Oleander, ''[[Oleander|Nerium oleander]]'', and both possess poisonous, milky sap, rather similar to that of ''[[Euphorbia]]''.
''Plumeria'' flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure [[sphinx moths]] to pollinate them. The flowers have no [[nectar]], and simply dupe their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.