Plumeria Rubra Absolute

#### Plumeria Rubra. See also **Plumeria Acutifolia **(previous monograph). The pink **Frangipanni**, and the white variety **Plumeria**** ****Alba**** **are still more common in the tropical countries all over the world than is their cousin, **Plumeria Acutifolia**. These trees are often used as decorative plants around official buildings, in private gardens, parks, etc. and they can be seen all over Africa, particularly along the east coast, in Central Africa, along the northern west coast, on most of the tropical islands, all over the West Indies (which may be the origin of the plumerias) and in the South Pacific islands, etc. The white variety is probably the most common. Its flowers are creamy white, with a fine shading towards the yellowish-orange in the center of the five petals. They emit such a powerful fragrance that one cannot have cut branches with flowers overnight in one's room. Like so many other fragrant tropical flowers, they exhale more fragrance at night than at daytime. The odor is reminiscent of neroli and gardenia, tremendously sweet, yet fresh and suave, but tenacious beyond measure. In China, the **Plumeria Rubra **has lately been treated with volatile solvents to yield a concrète from the flowers. An absolute is produced from the concrète by alcohol washing. The absolute finds use in finer perfumery as a powerful and versatile floral ingredient for honeysuckle, gardenia, tuberose, lilac, muguet, etc. or in various fantasy-bouquets, heavy-Oriental florals, etc. The absolute of **Plumeria**** ****Rubra**** **is, however, not yet regularly available to the outside world. If the perfumers find interest in this material, it may very likely be produced in a number of other areas, closer to the big consumers and become more regularly available. Until then, the "**Frangipanni**" perfume must remain a fantasy type with little, if any, relationship to the fragrance of the beautiful and delightfully scented **Plumeria **flowers.