Plumeria rubra
Description
Description
-----------

*Plumeria rubra* belongs to the dogbane family and grows as a spreading shrub or small tree to a height of  and similar width. It has a thick succulent trunk and sausage\-like blunt branches covered with a thin grey bark. The branches are somewhat brittle and when broken, ooze a white latex that can be irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. This latex found in the stem of the plants is in fact toxic, but not deadly unless present in large quantities. The large green leaves can reach  long and are arranged alternately and clustered at the end of the branches. The boles of these plants can be up to 25 cm in the wild. It tends to be smaller in cultivation.

They are deciduous, falling in the cooler months of the year. The flowers are terminal, appearing at the ends of branches over the summer. Often profuse and very prominent, they are strongly fragrant, and have five petals. The flowers give off their fragrance in the morning and in the evening. This fragrance is similar to that of rose, citrus, and cinnamon. The colors range from the common pink to white with shades of yellow in the centre of the flower. Initially tubular before opening out, the flowers are  in diameter, and only rarely go on to produce seed \- 20\-60 winged seeds are contained in a  pod. The fruits are cylindrical pods that are rarely found in cultivation.


Is the latex in Plumeria rubra toxic?