Frangipani

Plumeria (common name Frangipani is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family,

Apocynaceae.[1] It contains seven or eight species of mainly deciduous shrubs and small

trees. They are native to Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America as far

south as Brazil [2] but can be grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Plumeria is related to the Oleander, Nerium oleander, and both possess an irritant, rather

similar to that of Euphorbia. Contact with the sap may irritate eyes and skin.[3] Each of the

separate species of Plumeria bears differently shaped, alternate leaves with distinct form and

growth habits. The leaves of P. alba are quite narrow and corrugated, whereas leaves of P.

pudica have an elongated shape and glossy, dark-green color. P. pudica is one of the

everblooming types with non-deciduous, evergreen leaves. Another species that retains leaves

and flowers in winter is P. obtusa; though its common name is "Singapore," it is originally

from Colombia.

Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them.

The flowers have no nectar, however, and simply dupe their pollinators. The moths

inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless

search for nectar.

TUBEROSE

The tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) is a perennial plant related to the agaves, extracts of which

are used as a middle note in perfumery. The common name derives from the Latin tuberosa,

meaning swollen or tuberous in reference to its root system. Polianthes means "many

flowers" in Greek. In Mexican Spanish the flower is called nardo or vara de San José, which

means ‘St. Joseph’s staff’.

The tuberose is a night-blooming plant thought to be native to Mexico along with every other

species of Polianthes. It grows in elongated spikes up to 45 cm (18 in) long that produce

clusters of fragrant waxy white flowers that bloom from the bottom towards the top of the

spike. It has long, bright green leaves clustered at the base of the plant and smaller, clasping

leaves along the stem.

Members of the closely related genus Manfreda are often called "tuberoses". In the

Philippines, the plant is also known as azucena, and while once associated with funerals it is

now used in floral arrangements for other occasions.

COSMOS

Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of Cosmos, of about 20–26 species of

flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.

Cosmos is native to scrub and meadowland in Mexico where most of the species occur,

Florida and the southern United States, Arizona, Central America, and to South America in

the north to Paraguay in the south. It is also widespread over the high eastern plains of South

Africa, where it was introduced via contaminated horsefeed imported from Mexico during the

Boer War.

Cosmos are herbaceous perennial plants growing 0.3–2 m (10 in–6 ft 7 in) tall. The leaves are

simple, pinnate, or bipinnate, and arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are produced in a

capitulum with a ring of broad ray florets and a center of disc florets; flower color is very

variable between the different species. The genus includes several ornamental plants popular

in gardens. Numerous hybrids and cultivars have been selected and named.

ALLAMANDA

Allamanda is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. They are

native to the Americas, where they are distributed from Mexico to Argentina. Some species

are familiar as ornamental plants cultivated for their large, colorful flowers. Most species

produce yellow flowers; A. blanchetii bears pink.

Plants of the genus are evergreen trees,[2] shrubs, or vines.[3] They contain a white latex.

The leaves are opposite or arranged in whorls of up to 5. The blades are generally oval and

smooth-edged, and some are leathery or lightly hairy. The inflorescence is a compound cyme.

The flower has five lobed sepals and a bell- or funnel-shaped corolla of five petals, yellow in

most species. The fruit is a schizocarp containing two to four seeds.

IRIS

Iris is a genus of 260–300[1][2] species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its

name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found

among the many species.[3] As well as being the scientific name, iris is also very widely used

as a common name for all Iris species, though some plants called thus belong to other closely

related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus

Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden

flower.

The often-segregated, monotypic genera Belamcanda (blackberry lily), Hermodactylus

(snake's head iris), and Pardanthopsis (vesper iris) are currently included in Iris.

The genus is widely distributed throughout the north temperate zone. Their habitats are

varied, ranging from cold and montane regions to the grassy slopes, meadowlands and

riverbanks of the northern hemisphere. Irises are perennial plants, growing from creeping

rhizomes (rhizomatous irises) or, in drier climates, from bulbs (bulbous irises). They have

long, erect flowering stems which may be simple or branched, solid or hollow, and flattened

or have a circular cross-section. The rhizomatous species usually have 3–10 basal sword-

shaped leaves growing in dense clumps. The bulbous species have cylindrical, basal leaves.