Бугенвілія

The plant

The plants grow 1 to 12 metres tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white. Each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with bright colours, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. The colorful parts are bracts, which are modified leaves, not petals. The flowers of Bougainvillea glabra are about 0.4 cm in diameter.

Species and varieties

There are between 4 and 22 species in the genus. Only three of them, B. spectabilis, B. glabra and B. peruviana, are important horticulturally. There are over 300 varieties of bougainvillea. The species Bougainvillea spinosa is called fragrant bougainvillea.

Volatile compounds

The volatile compounds of the genus carry functional groups including aldehydes, ketones, phenols, oxides, esters and alcohols.

Name

The plant is named after explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811), after it was documented on one of his expeditions.

Cultivation and uses

Bougainvillea are popular ornamental plants in most areas with warm climates. They are frost-sensitive. They are grown along fence lines, on walls, in containers and hanging baskets, and as a hedge or an accent plant. In Mexico, an infusion of Bougainvillea glabra is used to treat gastrointestinal and respiratory problems.

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