I’ve been using FlexiPlugs by Grow-Tech for the last four years to germinate seeds and grow seedlings for the first phase of root growing, with very good results results. I would like to share my experience with this Guide. Click on this linke to find out more about how I use them. My methods may need to adjusted to your growing environment. https://plumeriaseeds.com/guide-growing-plumeria-seed/
When germinating plumeria seeds at home or in a greenhouse, the first thing to remember is plumeria seeds may be started indoors, but should be transplanted and moved to a location that provides plenty of light as soon as it has 3 or 4 real leaves. Leaving a seedling in small containers may result in disrupted growth, which can lead to unfavorable results. However, starting plumeria indoors is a great way to get an early jump on the outdoor growing season. When choosing a medium in which to germinate plumeria seeds, look for one that says something along the lines of, “seed starting mix.” This type of growing medium will likely have a moderate elemental fertilizer charge, which will benefit the newly sprouted seedlings. Seeds can be germinated in many different styles of trays and containers, so choose the type that best fits your space needs. If starting just a few seeds, a simple, flat starting tray or small individual containers will work great. When planting many seeds at once, it may be wise to use trays that are divided into separate growing chambers. This will cut down on the amount of transplanting needed as the plants grow. Remember, all a plumeria seed needs to germinate is warm temperatures and moisture. Some growers do use heat pads underneath the starting trays. Most plumeria seeds will germinate at temperatures between 65-90 degrees Fahrenheit and the added warmth in the growing medium can speed up the germination process. Using supplemental lighting, like a T5 fluorescent bulb, can also help provide extra heat. Though seeds may not need light in order to germinate, the seedling will need light, so having a light source ready is a good idea. I would use caution when starting seeds in a bright window sill because direct sunlight through glass can alter the intensity and the seedlings may stretch and become ‘leggy.’ (There are many good plumeria seed germination methods, I suggest you research each one and use the one or ones that fit you situation.)
When preparing to germinate seeds indoors it is a good idea to soak the seeds overnight or at least 4 hours in a warm place. Also moistening the growing medium before planting any seeds. This will help to ensure that the medium is not over saturated or water logged and that the moisture is spread evenly throughout. Using a tray, spread the seeds so they have about an inch between each, this will help minimize the root damage when transplanting. I have found using plugs is much easier to handle and preserves the roots when transplanting. There are many good planting methods and you should examine each to see which fits your situation and may help result in higher germination rates. If planting is occurring in a flat starting tray, space seeds at least an inch apart, either in rows or in a grid pattern and cover lightly with 1/4″ of growing medium (remember oxygen is important during germination, so don’t pack the medium down to much). Then, spray the entire tray lightly with a hand held mister. The soil should be kept moist not wet long enough for the seeds to germinate, it may need to be sprayed with the mister occasionally to maintain even distribution of moisture. Some growers use starting trays that have plastic, hood-type lids. This will keep the humidity around the seeds at higher than average room levels and may help increase the chance of successful germination. Be sure to check the seeds daily to maintain an optimal environment.
As the plumeria seedlings begin to pop up through the soil, there are a few environmental aspects that should be given proper attention right away: light intensity, humidity, and air flow. Remember the seeds of different cultivars may germinate in different lengths of time. Usually plumeria seeds will germinate in 5-10 days, but I have seen it take up to 30 days if conditions aren’t right. Plumeria seeds can sprout in total darkness, but, once the seedling breaches the soil, a sufficient light source is imperative. Those first “true leafs” will need a light source to perform photosynthesis and create carbohydrates, which will help sustain both normal plant growth and, most importantly, root growth. Without proper lighting, the early vegetative growth of a plant can be negatively affected and could cause long lasting problems.
Humidity can be helpful during the initial germination process but, as the seedlings begin to grow, high levels of humidity can spell disaster. As internal process burn up the seedlings energy sources, the plants will need to release oxygen as a gas through their stomata (a process called transpiration). As the oxygen leaves the plant, water and elemental nutrients are pulled up through the roots. In a humid environment, the stomata will remain closed and the roots will not take in water. If the growing medium is wet without proper aeration, the water will have nowhere to go and the roots will likely suffocate and die.
Air flow and humidity almost go hand in hand. A nice flow of air through the plants canopy will encourage the flow of carbon dioxide to the leaves and, subsequently, oxygen away from them. This is not just true for seedlings, but for plants in all stages of growth. A small fan on medium or low can help keep humidity levels low and the heat from any supplemental lighting to a minimum. Be sure to keep the rooting medium moist, but not too wet. Seedlings need water and going to long without can result in serious damage. However, if the medium remains too wet for too long it may impair root growth. As the seedlings grow, they will eventually exhaust any nutrient charge that the growing medium had to offer, so light fertilization may be needed while waiting to transplant into a different container.
As the seedlings grow, with proper care and attention, they inch closer and closer to fulfilling their own unique destiny. Every plumeria seeds has it’s own DNA structure and will not be exactly like any other. As we stand by, eagerly awaiting the flowers of our labor, it is important to remember that every plumeria we grow has entered into this life as a small, almost insignificant looking thing, that so many refer to as simply, just a seed.
Identifying Plumeria
The following key to 40 major plumeria cultivars and is based on the most prominent color in the petal. Additional information on each cultivar, including descriptions of the petals and leaves, is presented afterward. Color determinations were based on the Munsel Hue Scale of the Nickerson Color Fan. When synonyms occur, the more frequently used name is given first, with the others in parentheses.
Small, brilliant yellow center and strong red bands on back;
The plumeria root system constitutes a major part of the plant body, both in terms of function and bulk. In plumeria, the root system is the subterranean or underground part of the plant body. Roots are branching organs which grow downward into the soil, a manifestation of geotropism. Branching occurs irregularly and not from nodes as in stems.
In contrast to shoot, the plant root has no leaves, nodes, internodes and buds. With rare exception, roots also lack stomata.
Other morphological and anatomical features which are distinct to this plant structure are:
These features are found in the root apex which is divided into three regions:
In general, the plumeria root system either consists of a taproot system (with primary root found on seedlings) or fibrous roots (adventitious roots found on cuttings) with attached branch roots and finer rootlets having root hairs close to the tip.
Despite being inconspicuous because they are normally hidden underground, the plant root system performs various functions which are essential to growth and development. The extent of underground expansion of this plant structure serves as limitation in the growth of the plant. Thus potted plants usually exhibit slow growth but once the roots leak out from the bottom of the pot and penetrate into the ground, growth rate accelerates.
This is possible due to the green pigment in them called CHLOROPLAST, Leaves are the chief food producing organ in MOST not all plants, and because they create food via photosynthesis they are typically arranged in convenient ways to allow maximum absorption of sunlight.
Leaves use our bi-product carbon dioxide for photo synthesis! This co dependent relationship is required for survival for not only them but for everything here on earth that requires oxygen to live.
Some plants are unique in terms of how they’ve adapted to protecting themselves by growing their own defenses. Example: the artichoke has grown a protective wall over the entire bud to allow it to safely grow!
Plants lose a relatively large amount of water through transpiration through their STOMATA, in fact its estimated that the loss of water via stomata through the process of transpiration exceeds over 90 percent of the water absorbed by the roots!
Lanceolate leaves are significantly longer than wide and widest below the middle, gradually tapering toward the apex. Type 1
Obanceolate leaves are significantly longer than wide and widest above the middle, gradually widening toward the apex. Type 2
Elliptic leaves are about twice as long as broad. The broadest part is in the middle and the two ends narrow equally. Type 3
Spatulate leaves are broadly rounded at the apex and gradually curve down toward the base. Type 4
Linear leaves are more that twelve times longer than wide. They are long and narrow with more or less parallel margins or sides.
Needlelike leaves are then and long like needles. filifolia is the only Plumeria know to have this type of leaf.
Round leaves are broadly rounded at the apex and the base.
Cordate leaves are shaped like hearts. The stem is attached at the wide end of the leaf.
Ovate leaves are shaped like an egg, with the broader end of the leaf nearest the petiole.
Obovate leaves are shaped like an egg, with the broader end of the leaf farthest from the petiole.
Oblong leaves almost resemble a rectangle, except that their corners are rounded. They are at least twice as long as they are wide.
Oblong leaves almost resemble a rectangle, except that their corners are rounded. They are at least twice as long as they are wide.
Obcordate leaves are shaped like hearts. The stem is attached at the narrow end of the leaf.
Type 1 emerginate
Type 2 obtuse or rounded
Type 3 obtuse or blunt
Type 4 acute
Type 5 acuminate
Leaves are organs to the plant, they come in many different shape, sizes and arrangements all varying on the different conditions each plant must survive in.
An important part of leaves is the role of STOMATA or STOMA. Stoma consist of a pore that surrounded by 2 sausage shaped epidermal guard cells. These pores open and close as they regulate the flow/amount of gases and water to and from the leaves.
They are typically found on the underside of leaves but in some cases they are found on other organs of the plant like the stem or fruit.
Chloroplast | A plastid that contains chlorophyll and in which photosynthesis takes place |
Stomata | Stoma consist of a pore thats surrounded by 2 sausage shaped epidermal guard cells. These pores open and close as they regulate the flow/amount of gases and water to and from the leaves. |
| Photosynthesis | The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. |
When the endosperm stores reserve food , the cotyledons are non-functional,examples are all cereals (see above).In short both of them are never functional in the same plant.
The reserve food is just sufficient to let the seedling become independent. When the first green leaves appear it no longer requires the food from the godown.
The seed of a higher plant is a small package produced in a flower or cone containing an embryo and stored food reserves. Germination and early seedling growth require the mobilization of food storage reserves within the seed. A major portion of almost every seed consists of food reserves. Angiosperms fall into two groups regarding the placement of stored food in their seeds: the monocots which store most of their food in the cotyledons or seed leaves; and the dicots which store their food in extraembryonic tissues called endosperm (Gottfried, 1993).
Under favorable conditions, the seed begins to germinate, and the embryonic tissues resume growth, developing towards a seedling. The first step in germination of a seed occurs when it imbibes, or takes up water. Once this has taken place, metabolism within the embryo resumes (Gottfried, 1993). The part of the plant that emerges from the seed first is termed a radicle or young root—which anchors the seed and absorbs water and minerals from the soil (Gottfried, 1993). In some definitions, the appearance of the radicle marks the end of germination and the beginning of “establishment”, a period that ends when the seedling has exhausted the food reserves stored in the seed. Then, the shoot of the young seedling elongates and emerges from the ground. These are critical phases in the life of a plant. The mortality between dispersal of seeds and completion of establishment can be so high, that many species survive only by producing huge numbers of seeds (wikipedia.org, 2006).
Seed germination depends on a variety of environmental factors, the most important of which is water. However, other factors such as the availability of oxygen (for aerobic respiration in the germinating seed), suitable temperature, and sometimes the presence of light are also necessary (Gottfried, 1993).
This page describes general observations and characteristics of cultivars of genus Plumeria. The plumeria genus is composed of five or more species although nearly all cultivars are considered part of species P. rubra or P. obtusa. We are concerned with the flower, the leaf, and the plant as a whole. There are certain characteristics considered when assigning to a species or in recognition of a variety. We document many of those characteristics for each variety in Cultivars and Varieties.
Plumeria seem to have a fairly well defined growth habit, but will sometimes exhibit peculiar behavior. Compare plumeria to cats: they excel in doing things they are not supposed to do! Nearly every generally accepted rule of plumeria culture will from time to time be proven incorrect. For example: plumeria require full sun to bloom (what about the one in the garage in full bloom during the winter?); plumeria need to bloom in order to branch (What about this one with over 30 tips that’s only bloomed three times!)
Almost any part of a plumeria tree can be propagated by cutting, see How to Grow Plumeria from a Cutting for a procedure that will usually produce successful results. Though there are other ways to propagate plumeria; the plant whose habit we are describing was usually begun from a cutting, no matter how large or small.
The plumeria branch tip is where new growth including leaves and flowers occur. The branch and its tip are interesting since the tip is usually the same diameter as the rest of the branch. The young branch and its tip more closely resemble a broomstick than a young tree branch. The young branch and its tip are of a soft, but brittle, herbaceous material, full of the white milky latex plumeria sap. As new leaves are grown, the branch extends by adding tissue to the end of the tip. When an inflorescence (flower bud or stalk) is produced the tip divides into one or more new tips that continue to grow with as much vigor as the original tip. The new tips usually grow at a predictable angle with respect to the original branch tip. This is how a plumeria branches. Obviously, if it only divides into one new tip no branching has occurred. The normal branching habit, or average number of new tips produced, is probably two or three. This process continues indefinitely with each tip branching on the average once every year or two. The length of tip growth per year is based on factors including: variety, growing conditions, and nutrition. Once a particular bit of plumeria branch has dropped its leaves, it will never replace them as new leaves are always produced by new growth at the tip of the branch.
The plumeria’s annual growth cycle has evolved to accommodate a dormant period to coincide with months of drought in the arid tropical regions of Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean Islands where it is indigenous. This corresponds to the Winter season in the Northern Hemisphere and permits storing the plant indoors, out of light, out of sight, and out of mind when outdoor weather conditions are likely to include frost or freezing temperatures. While dormant, the plumeria requires no care and most varieties will loose all of their leaves.
As the sun’s intensity and temperatures increase during the spring, plumeria begin to break dormancy by producing leaves and an inflorescence on many tips. Many plumeria will be in full bloom before the spring rains and before producing a single leaf!
Active growth occurs after spring rains as long as temperature and sunlight requirements are met. Most vegetative growth occurs under these conditions. This includes revitalization or regeneration of a desiccated root system, new leaf growth, and stem and branch elongation. Many varieties will continue to bloom and initiate new inflorescence during the vegetative period. Most varieties will set seed pods during this period as well.
As fall approaches, drought, less sunlight, and cooler temperatures all contribute to plumeria entering its dormant period. Many lower leaves will turn yellow and drop, flowering will be significantly reduced or stop altogether, and overall plant growth will dramatically slow or come to a stop. The fully dormant plumeria’s requirements are few: temperatures above freezing and conditions on the dry side. Dormancy lasts from one to five months depending on environmental factors.
Flowers
Plumeria flowers have five petals, although flowers with four, six, seven or more petals are not uncommon. Some types of flowers do not fully open and are referred to as shell, semi-shell, or tulip like. Most flowers have a strong pleasant fragrance that is most intense during the early part of the day. A great many different fragrances have been described, but since smell is so subjective and varies for environmental and nutritional reasons, we do not attempt to be comprehensive in its description. We try harder with colors. There seem to be several basic plumeria color schemes: white with a yellow center, yellow, multicolor, pink and red. There is speculation that red is a special case of multicolor. Most of the reds can be more properly referred to as red-purple.
Leaves
Plumeria leaves are generally green. What a surprise! However, when examined closely, they can exhibit remarkable variation that is species and variety dependent. We limit our leaf description to shape, color, size, and texture.
Plants
The plumeria is more appropriately considered a tree. In the tropics it can grow to heights over thirty feet. A mature plumeria has very strong hardwood and can be safely climbed by the average person so long as the limbs are at least three inches in diameter. Remember to keep your weight where the branches intersect or be sure there are plenty of cushions below!
We are concerned about the general growth habit of a plumeria variety, how well it branches (IE what is the usual number of new tips produced from a tip when it blooms), its history, its seed bearing potential, and its use as a container, ornamental, or landscape plant.
Measurements of plumeria flower varieties are with respect to other plumeria. When a universal standard can be applied, such as a ruler or color chart, we use it; otherwise the comparison is among peers.
The emphasis is on the flower. There are, however, some interesting items observable in plumeria leaves that can aid in identification of varieties in or out of bloom.
Measurements and observation of the overall plumeria tree are interesting as they can relate to its suitability as an ornamental, container grown, or a landscape plant. They can also be of interest for growers for their genetic information and possible use in hybridization.
The standard reference used is The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart . The society is recognized worldwide and presumably their color chart is available worldwide. See Obtaining the standard reference below to acquire a copy of the color chart.
The color chart should always be used in daylight, not in direct sunlight, but a bright shady spot. Most plumeria reds will be found in Fan 2 in the Red-Purple Group.
Start by selecting the blossom to be examined. It should be fully opened, but not so old that significant fading has occured. Usually this will be one or two days after it begins to open. Certain varieties will have already have begun to fade; this can not be helped. Start by tearing a single petal from a plumeria blossom. Lay the petal on a clean sheet of paper top side up and petal tip pointing to the top of the sheet. Draw its outline with a pen or pencil. Flip the petal over someplace else on the same sheet and repeat this process. Examine the petal closely, determine its significant areas of banding, striping, and differing colors. Without getting too carried away, draw those areas within the petal outlines on the sheet of paper. Many plumeria blossoms possess some of these characteristics:
Using a pair of scissors, cut the petal into pieces containing only one significant color. Don’t attempt to get every graduation of color, just two or three areas of different, representative, and uniform color. Perform this process for the top and bottom of the petal.
Dealing with a single piece of petal at a time, flip through the fan that probably contains the matching color. Use a “narrowing down” process of elimination by selecting several close matches, then finally choose the one that seems to be the best match. An exact match is a rare occurrence. Keep in mind that hue is more important than intensity. Annotate the drawing with the color chart code for that petal area. An example color chart code would be Red-Purple 61A.
After all areas are marked, the petal is described in narrative form incorporating the appropriate color codes. Color descriptions used in Cultivars, and varieties use this technique.
The Plumeria Place has no affiliation with the Royal Horticultural Society. This information is believed to be correct, but can not be guaranteed. Given the aforementioned, the Colour Chart can be obtained by snail mail order. The cost is about $35.00 US and it is believed Visa and Master Card are accepted. Send request and credit card information to:
RHS Enterprises
Wisley, Woking,
Surrey. GU23 6QB
England
It is important to use the right terms the right way (at least most of the time). Variety and cultivar are two terms often abused by gardeners and horticulturists.
Both are part of the scientific name. Both appear after the specific epithet (second term in a scientific name). Both refer to some unique characteristic of a plant. However, this is where many of the similarities end.
Varieties often occur in nature and most varieties are true to type. That means the seedlings grown from a variety will also have the same unique characteristic of the parent plant. For example, there is a white flowering plumeria that was found in nature. Its scientific name is Plumeria var.alba. The varietal term “alba” means white. If you were to germinate seed from this variety, most, if not all would also be white flowering.
Cultivars are not necessarily true to type. In fact cultivar means “cultivated variety.” Therefore, a cultivar was selected and cultivated by humans. Some cultivars originate as sports or mutations on plants. Other cultivars could be hybrids of two plants. To propagate true-to-type clones, many cultivars must be propagated vegetatively through cuttings, grafting, and even tissue culture. Propagation by seed usually produces something different than the parent plant.
Varieties and cultivars also have differently naming conventions. A variety is always written in lower case and italicized. It also often has the abbreviation “var.” for variety preceding it. The first letter of a cultivar is capitalized and the term is never italicized. Cultivars are also surrounded by single quotation marks (never double quotation marks) or preceded by the abbreviation “cv.”.
Can a plant have both a variety and a cultivar? Sure. One good example is Sunburst Honeylocust. Its scientific name is Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Sunburst’. The term “inermis” means without thorns and “Sunburst” refers to the bright golden spring leaf color.
In today’s world of horticulture, cultivars are planted and used more than varieties. Yet we often still refer to a type of plant species as a variety instead of what is actually is a cultivar. Let’s kick off the New Year by being more accurate and start using the term cultivar.
Year of Publication: 2008
Issue: IC-499( 2) — February 6, 2008
By Cindy Haynes, Department of Horticulture
The book Heliconia an Identification Guide by Fred Berry and W. John Kress offers formal definitions of genus, species, cultivar and variety.
Cultivar registration is the responsibility of the appropriate International Registration Authority, for plumeria this is The Plumeria Society of America, Inc. The Plumeria Place recognizes the registered cultivar name. Other names, if known, for the same cultivar will be listed aka (“also known as”). Unregistered cultivars and varieties will be listed in the manner deemed most appropriate.
Cultivar names must conform to certain naming conventions. They are traditionally enclosed in single quotes (apostrophes) e.g. ‘Blue’. They may not contain numbers or abbreviations unless those abbreviations are part of a recognized formal name. Certain words may not be used in cultivar names such as: hybrid, variety, cross, seedling, form, etc.
This list has not been updated. The omission of a name should indicate the information is incomplete rather than non-existence of the cultivar or variety. The information presented is believed to be correct. In cases where we have some information, but lack bits and pieces here-and-there we indicate n/a meaning that this bit of information is not available at the present time.
Links will be added to the name linking to a picture and description of the variety.
(Note: This information is so incomplete).
Center Cuts are an often-overlooked cutting that deserves a place in your garden! A center cut is a branch or branches without any growth tips. Treat center cuts as you would any cutting. When a center cut is planted buds will form towards the of the cutting from old leaf nodes and a new growth tip will form. Often several new tips will appear!
Because the single cutting forms multiple tips so quickly, center cuts are sometimes preferred to single tip cuttings. Another benefit to center cuts is the diameter is typically much larger than a tip cutting because of its age. It will makes a larger tree base than a tip cutting in less time.
Very few sell center cuttings because of the perceived value of center cuts. The lack of the smooth growth tip makes them less physically attractive at first – but given time! A center cut will produce a fuller plumeria tree in a shorter time.
Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service
In the proof-reading phases of the University of Hawaii’s Plumeria Cultivars in Hawaii bulletin 158, the editor disagreed with the authors on the nature of the fragrance of several of the plumeria cultivars. It brought to mind the differences that people come with in describing odors. Plumeria flower fragrances can be described as weak, mild or strong, with the strongly scented ones characterized in terms of other fragrances: citrus, coconut, rose, cinnamon, carnation, jasmine, gardenia, fruity, or even woody.
In ‘Common Yellow’ 73 different compounds were identified by comparing their mass spectra and GC (gas chromatography) retention times with those of reference chemicals, while 67 were identified in ‘Irma Bryan’. It is possible that differences such as thes e could be used sometime to help distinguish between other cultivars which are closer in appearance.
‘Common Yellow’ has as major components the compounds phenylacetaldehyde and linalol (16.1 and 14.1 percent, respectively). Also present are:
Two other compounds, neral and geranial, with lemon-like fragrances were present (comprising together 0.9%) which help account for the characteristic citrus scent of this flower.
‘Irma Bryan’ had a very different makeup, although phenylacetaldehyde (12.1%) was still present. Beta-phenylethyl alcohol comprised 31.6% of the essential oil, about 3 times as much as in ‘Common Yellow.’ It has a mild, warm, rose-honey-like odor. The phe nylacetaldehyde has a powerful and penetrating, pungent-green, floral and sweet hyacinth-type odor.
Other volatiles that were present in the ‘Common Yellow’ flowers were either absent or present at much lower levels in ‘Irma Bryan,’ while methyl cinnamate (1.0%) and 2-methylbutan-1-o1 (10.5%) were found in the red ‘Irma Bryan’ flowers and not in the ‘Co mmon Yellow.’ Methyl cinnamate has a powerful fruity-spicy odor and seems to characterize ‘Irma Bryan’ while the 2-methylbutan-1-o1 does not seem to contribute to its scent.
Does it make the wonderful plumeria fragrance the less exquisite to know that 12 hydrocarbons, 21 alcohols, 13 esters, 8 aldehydes, and 20 miscellaneous compounds were detected?
So, when asked what creates the wonderful plumeria scent, you can reply authoritatively and quote the chemical names. On the other hand, you can paraphrase Joyce Kilmer and state that only God can make a plumeria.
In the summer of 1991, Japanese researchers collected plumeria flowers in Hawaii to analyze them. The cultivars chosen were the ‘Common Yellow’ and ‘Irma Bryan’ forms of Plumeria rubra L.
Nearly a pound of flowers of each cultivar were subjected to steam distillation and extraction with organic solvents to derive a mere 70 milligrams (0.002 oz) of essential oil. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses were carried out to characte rize the various volatile components.
References:
Chinn, J. T. and R. A. Criley. 1983. Plumeria cultivars in Hawaii. HAES Research Bulletin 15 8. (Out of Print)
Omato, A., K. Yomogida, S. Nakamura, S. Hashimoto, T. Arai, and K. Furukawa. 1991. Volatile components of plumeria flowers. Part I . Plumeria rubra forma acutifolia (Poir.) Woodson cv. Common Yellow. Flavour and Fragrance Journal 6:277-279.
Omato, A., S. Nakamura, S. Hashimoto, and K. Furukawa. 1992. Volatile components of plumeria flowers. Part II. Plumeria rubra L. cv. Irma Bryan. Flavour and Fragrance Journal 7:33-35.
Richard A. Criley, criley@hawaii.edu
Department of Horticulture
University of Hawaii