pagoda-tree
Plumeria rubra · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (385 studies) · ★★★★★
Pagoda-tree, scientifically known as Plumeria rubra, is a captivating tropical shrub renowned for its fragrant, waxy blossoms. Beyond its ornamental beauty, this plant holds significant medicinal value in traditional practices. Its various parts are utilized to treat ailments ranging from skin infections to respiratory issues and inflammatory conditions.
Names
Common Names
- pagoda-tree
- red-jasmine
- Chelilairangebard
- Mexican Plumeria
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Plumeria angustifolia
- Plumeria lambertiana
- Plumeria kunthiana
- Plumeria arborescens
- Plumeria mollis
- Plumeria loranthifolia
- Plumeria lutea
- Plumeria northiana
- Plumeria tenuifolia
- Plumeria tricolor
- Plumeria macrophylla
- Plumeria aurantiaca
- Plumeria mexicana
- Plumeria acuminata
- Plumeria megaphylla
- Plumeria acutifolia
- alhelí
- alhelí cimarrón
- suche
- Amancayo
- Cacalosúchil
- Flor blanca
- Flor de Mayo
- Florón
- Frangipán
- Sacuanjoche
German:
- Rote Frangipani
- rote Frangipani
French:
- frangipanier
- Frangipanier rouge
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Plumeria rubraSynonyms
- Plumeria rubra f. acuminata
- Plumeria loranthifolia
- Plumeria carinata
- Plumeria gouanii
- Plumeria macrophylla
- Plumeria purpurea
- Plumeria rubra var. acutifolia
- Plumeria conspicua
- Plumeria incarnata var. milleri
- Plumeria acutifolia var. gasparrinii
- Plumeria aurantia
- Plumeria aurantiaca
- Plumeria incarnata
- Plumeria blandfordiana
- Plumeria jamesonii
- Plumeria kerrii
- Plumeria kunthiana
- Plumeria lambertiana
- Plumeria megaphylla
- Plumeria mexicana
- Plumeria lutea
- Plumeria rubra var. acuminata
- Plumeria rubra f. acutifolia
- Plumeria rubra f. lutea
- Plumeria rubra f. tricolor
- Plumeria tenuifolia
- Plumeria tricolor
- Plumeria northiana
- Plumeria milleri
- Plumeria mollis
- Plumeria acuminata
- Plumeria acutifolia
- Plumeria arborescens
- Plumeria angustifolia
- Plumeria mariaelenae
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianales, it is classified under the family Apocynaceae. Finally, its specific biological identity is defined by the genus Plumeria.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Apocynaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Plumeria | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several continents and tropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is noted specifically in Senegal. Its range extends into West-Central Tropical Africa, where it can be found around the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Within the Western Indian Ocean, the species is located in the Comoros. Finally, in Asia, the plant is distributed across South-Central China as well as the island of Hainan.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | West Himalaya | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known scientifically as Plumeria rubra, possesses various components that are utilized in traditional medicine. The large, green leaves are frequently employed for their topical healing properties, and sometimes a single leaf is used in decoctions to treat specific ailments. When the stem or a branch is damaged, it exudes a thick, white milky juice, which is more formally referred to as latex. This sticky latex is often studied for its bioactive compounds, while the bark of the tree is also noted in various ethnobotanical practices for its potential therapeutic applications.| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| bark | BMC complementary and alternative medicine (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | Planta medica (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| heartwood | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| latex | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| milky juice | BMC complementary and alternative medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Plumeria rubra has 38 reported phytochemicals identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Fulvoplumierin, Plumericin, Plumieride, RUTIN, kaempferol.
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Fulvoplumierin | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plumericin | Protoplasma (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plumieride | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| RUTIN | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| kaempferol | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 15-Demethylplumieride | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2,5-Dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Allamandin | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Allamcin | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anthraquinones | Protoplasma (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Plumeria rubra has 295 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Anthelmintic, Antibacterial.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anthelmintic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticoagulant | Protoplasma (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifertility | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antipyretic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Plumeria rubra has 23 reported medicinal uses identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include acne, anti-oxidant, asthma, breast cancer, cancer.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| acne | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anti-oxidant | Biomolecules (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| colon cancer | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| constipation | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diabetes mellitus | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| earache | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fibrosarcoma | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| crude leaf extract | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| latex | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol extract | BMC complementary and alternative medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol extract of leaves | BMC complementary and alternative medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanolic extract | Planta medica (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| milky juice | BMC complementary and alternative medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| petroleum-ether- and CHCl3-soluble extracts | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |