- bougainvillea
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/booh'geuhn vil"ee euh, -vil"yeuh, boh'-/, n.any of several shrubs or vines of the genus Bougainvillea, native to South America, having small flowers with showy, variously colored bracts, and often cultivated in warm regions.[1789; < NL, named after L. A. de BOUGAINVILLE]
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Any plant of the genus Bougainvillea, comprising about 14 species of shrubs, vines, or small trees (family Nyctaginaceae) native to South America and hardy in warm climates.Many species are spiny. Only the woody vines are widely popular; showy cultivated varieties of several species are often grown indoors. The inconspicuous flowers are surrounded by brightly coloured papery bracts, for which one species, B. glabra, is called paperflower. The bracts of various species range from purple to lemon-yellow.* * *
▪ plant genusgenus of about 18 species of shrubs, vines, or small trees, belonging to the four-o'clock family (Nyctaginaceae), native to South America. Many species are thorny. Only the woody vines have attained wide popularity; several species have produced very showy cultivated varieties, which are often grown indoors and in conservatories.The inconspicuous flowers are surrounded by brightly coloured papery bracts, for which one species, B. glabra, from Brazil, is called paperflower; the bracts are purple or magenta to lighter tints in certain varieties. The stem of B. glabra may be 20 to 30 metres (about 60 to 100 feet) long in warm climates, and the plant is in flower throughout most of the year. The stem of B. spectabilis is covered with many short hairs, and the flowers are relatively short-lived. The combination of bract plus inconspicuous flower itself resembles a flower with conspicuous petals. B. peruviana, from Colombia to Peru, has rose to magenta bracts. B. × buttiana, a probable hybrid of B. glabra and B. peruviana, has given rise to varieties having lemon yellow (“Golden Glow”), orange (“Louis Wathen”), and crimson (“Mrs. Butt”) bracts. Bougainvilleas are hardy in warm climates.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
