Bougainvillea

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iBougainvillea

Bougainvillea spectabilis

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Nyctaginaceae
Genus:	Bougainvillea

Species

Selected species:
Bougainvillea buttiana
Bougainvillea glabra
Bougainvillea peruviana
Bougainvillea spectabilis
Bougainvillea spinosa

Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to the tropical and subtropical regions of South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina (Chubut Province). Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus. The name comes from Louis Antoine de Bougainville, an admiral in the French Navy who discovered the plant in Brazil in 1768.

They are thorny, woody, vines growing anywhere from 1-12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their hooked thorns. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4-13 cm long and 2-6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colors associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. Bougainvillea glabra is sometimes referred to as "paper flower" because the bracts are thin and papery. The fruit is a narrow five-lobed achene.

Bougainvillea are relatively pest-free plants, but may suffer from worms and aphids. The larvae of some Lepidoptera species also use them as food plants including Giant Leopard Moth.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Bougainvilleas are popular ornamental plants in most areas with warm climates, including Australia, the Caribbean, India, Malaysia, the Mediterranean region, South Africa, Taiwan, and the United States in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, and southern Texas.

Numerous cultivars and hybrids have been selected, including nearly thornless shrubs. Some Bougainvillea cultivars are sterile, and are propagated from cuttings.

Bougainvillea are rapid growing and flower all year in warm climates, especially when pinched or pruned. Bloom cycles are typically four to six weeks. Bougainvillea grow best in very bright full sun and with frequent fertilization, but the plant requires little water to flower. As indoor houseplants in temperate regions, they can be kept small by bonsai techniques. If overwatered, Bougainvillea will not flower and may lose leaves or wilt, or even die from root decay.

[edit] Symbolism

Various species of bougainvillea are the official flowers of the island of Guam (B. spectabilis), of Lienchiang and Pingtung Counties in Taiwan, and of the cities of Tagbilaran, Philippines, Camarillo, California and Laguna Niguel, California.