Bougainvillea
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 Bougainvillea spectabilis
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Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to 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 encountered the plant in Brazil in 1768 and first described it to Europeans.
They are thorny, woody, vines growing anywhere from 1-12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their hooked thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance that is easily left in the flesh of an unsuspecting victim. 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, for example the Giant Leopard Moth.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
Bougainvilleas are popular ornamental plants in most areas with warm climates, including Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, the Mediterranean region, the Caribbean, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, South Africa, the southern United States and Hawaii.
Numerous cultivars and hybrids have been selected, including nearly thornless shrubs. Some Bougainvillea cultivars are sterile, and are propagated from cuttings.
Because of the aggressive growth of hardened thorns and prolific branches, this plant is ideal as a natural barrier for security applications.
[edit] Symbolism
Various species of bougainvillea are the official flowers of the island of Grenada, the island of Guam, of Lienchiang and Pingtung Counties in Taiwan; Ipoh, Malaysia[1]; and of the cities of Tagbilaran, Philippines; Camarillo, California; Laguna Niguel, California; and San Clemente, California.
[edit] References and external links
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Bougainvillea
- Bougainvillea spinosa in Argentina (in Spanish)
- Flora Brasiliensis: Bougainvillea (in Portuguese)
- Bougainvillea Common Pests and Diseases
- Bougainvillea Xeriscape
 Purple bougainvillea |
 Yellow bougainvillea |
 Climbing bougainvillea |
 Bougainvillea is a common sight along Interstate overpasses in San Diego, California |
 九重葛 |
 九重葛 |
 九重葛 |
 Three colors of bougainvillea adorn a fence in Los Angeles |
