Northern Mariana Islands Territorial Flower
Plumeria (common name) Plumeria rubra acutifolia (scientific name) Overview The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' official floral emblem is the plumeria, a fragrant, five-petaled flower native to parts of Latin America but now common throughout the South Pacific. No particular cultivar is specified, but the legislation does say that the flowers should be creamy white with yellow centers. The flowers’ teardrop-shaped petals overlap each other pinwheel-style, and may either curve back or open flat. The yellow markings may be very close to the center or start about halfway down the petal, depending on the exact variety. Blossoms are extremely fragrant, especially at night when their aroma attracts pollinating moths. The flowers actually have no nectar, and the plant’s stems produce a whitish, opaque sap that’s poisonous. Leaves are long and narrow and usually a glossy dark green. When fertilized, a flower produces a pair of long, oval, and pointed brown seed pods, which can contain up to 100 winged brown seeds that overlap each other in the pod and look like the scales on a fish. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Duration: Perennial Plant: small tree Mature Height: 15–25 ft (4.5–7.6 m) Flowering: Year-round Flowers: 2–3 in (5–8 cm) across, with five teardrop-shaped petals Flower Color: White and yellow Leaves: 2–4 in (5-10 cm) wide and 8–12 in (20.3–30.5 cm) long; glossy, dark green ovals with pointed tips Fruit/Seed Color: Brown HABITAT Location: Sunny, open, well-drained locations Range: Native to Mexico and south to Colombia and Venezuela but now common throughout the tropics TRIVIA The flowers are named for Charles Plumier, the French monk who traveled in the Caribbean and first classified plumeria as well as many other tropical plants. According to legend, Plumier first sought out the flowering shrub ultimately named for him hoping to become wealthy. Instead, he was overcome by the plant’s beauty and fragrance, and these supposedly inspired him to work at classifying other plants so diligently. Plumeria flowers have become a common symbol of the tropics. In addition to representing the Northern Marianas, they are commonly used in Hawaii to make flower garlands.
	Click to enlarge an image Plumeria Cluster of Plumeria Flowers Showing Leaves Close-up of Plumeria Flower CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Gentianales Family: Apocynaceae Genus: Plumeria Species: P. rubra acutifolia
	Author: World Trade Press