Bougainvillea spectabilis
(great bougainvillea)

Preferred Common Name

• great bougainvillea

Other Scientific Names

• Bougainvillea bracteata Pers.
• Bougainvillea brasiliensis Raeusch
• Bougainvillea speciosa Schnizl.
• Bougainvillea virescens Choisy

International Common Names

• English: bougainvillea; purple bougainvillea
• Spanish: bougainvilla; bougainvillea; veranera
• French: bougainvillée; bougainvillier
• Chinese: ye zi hua

Local Common Names

• Brazil: primavera; roseira-do-mato; tapirica; três-marias
• Colombia: curazao
• Cuba: bunganvil
• Dominican Republic: flor de papel; villamil; zarza americana
• Ecuador: buganbilla; guambillo
• Germany: Bougainvillie
• India: boganvel ; boganvilla; kaagitha poo; kadalasupoovu-chedi ; kagaj-phul
• Netherlands: drielingenplant
• Peru: papelillo
• Puerto Rico: trinitaria

EPPO code

• BOUSP (Bougainvillea spectabilis)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Caryophyllales
•                         Family: Nyctaginaceae
•                             Genus: Bougainvillea
•                                 Species: Bougainvillea spectabilis

The family Nyctaginaceae comprises 30 genera and 300–400 species of trees, shrubs and herbs found in all warmer areas of the world, however the bulk of the diversity at the generic and specific levels occurs in two regions: (1) the Neotropics, and (2) arid western North America (Douglas and Spellenberg, 2010; Stevens, 2017). Based on morphology, the family was classified into six tribes (Bittrich and Kühn, 1993). However, molecular phylogenetic analyses have led to a new monophyly-based classification with seven circumscribed tribes: Nyctagineae, Pisonieae, Bougainvilleeae, Colignonieae, Boldoeae, Leucastereae and Caribeeae (Douglas and Manos, 2007; Douglas and Spellenberg, 2010).

The genus Bougainvillea comprises about 14–18 species distributed across Central and South America (Douglas and Spellenberg, 2010; The Plant List, 2013. This genus is very important within the horticultural trade where the species B. glabra, B. spectabilis and many hybrids and cultivated varieties are widely commercialized as ornamentals for their long-lasting, colourful flower bracts. Although flower bracts of purple, pink or red colour are commonly seen, cultivars are now available in apricot, white, blue, yellow and orange (Gilman, 1999).

Currently, both wild and cultivated forms of B. spectabilis are commercialized and have probably been introduced repeatedly across tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Apparently, the main difference between these two forms is that in the wild form flowers have simple bracts and produce reproductive structures while cultivars have flowers with multi-whorl bracts but are sterile. In this species, the cultivated varieties have been selected to have multi-whorl flowers, a type of floral abnormality in which some or all of the stamens in a flower are replaced by petals, and the carpel is replaced by sepals or petals. These cultivars with multi-whorl bracts have great ornamental and commercial value, but are sexually sterile (do not develop sexual organs) and must be propagated through cuttings (Xu et al., 2009; Salam et al., 2017).
 

Woody perennial vine or shrub (or small tree), erect or clambering, attaining a height of up to 12 m and a width of 7 m. Branches pilose, with straight, axillary, pilose spines. Leaves alternate, 2.6-2.5 × 2.7- 5 cm, chartaceous, ovate, the apex acute, obtuse, or acuminate, the base obtuse, rounded, or attenuate, slightly asymmetrical, the margins sinuate; lower surface tomentulose, with prominent pilose venation; petioles slender, 1 to 2.3 cm long, pilose. Flowers in axillary clusters of threes, each flower with a purple, red, pink, or orange bract beneath, to ca. 3 to 4 cm long; calyx tubular with 5 lobes, to ca. 2 cm long, tube the same colour as the bracts, lobes white, ca. 3 mm long; corolla absent; stamens 5-10. Fruit an achene, 1-1.5 cm, elongate, 5-ribbed containing 1 seed (McMullen, 1999; Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2005; Flora of China, 2018).

In 1789 European explorers in the French Navy recorded and collected Bougainvillea spectabilis for the first time in Brazil. In the early 19^th century, it was introduced into Europe, and soon, nurseries in France and England did a thriving trade providing specimens to other faraway countries. Since then, it has been introduced extensively across tropical and warm temperate regions of the world (Salam et al., 2017; Stevens, 2017).

It was first introduced to India in 1860 from Europe; there is a record of plants from the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens being introduced into Kolkata in 1923 (Salam et al., 2017). It was first recorded in the Kruger National Park (South Africa) in 1952 (Foxcroft et al., 2008).

It seems highly probable that repeated introductions of both wild and cultivated varieties of B. spectabilis have occurred across its alien distribution range. Currently, this species is sold primarily in the form of various cultivated varieties, but the wild form is also commercialized (Xu et al., 2009; Douglas and Spellenberg, 2010; Salam et al., 2017).

Soil drainage

• free

Soil reaction

• acid
• neutral

Soil texture

• heavy
• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• saline

Natural Dispersal

Bougainvillea spectabilis spreads by seed. The fruits are dispersed by means of the wing-like bracts to which they are attached (McMullen, 1999). In cultivation, it is often propagated from stem fragments and root cuttings (Gilman, 1999).

Intentional Introduction

Bougainvillea spectabilis is a popular ornamental and hedge plant that has been extensively introduced across tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world (Gilman, 1999; Salam et al., 2017).

Bougainvillea spectabilis is an aggressive climbing plant. It climbs over trees or shrubs suffocating them and out-competing native plant species in the understorey (Smith, 1991; McMullen, 1999; Fern, 2014; Oviedo Prieto and Gonzalez-Oliva, 2015; Randall, 2017; GRIIS, 2018; PIER, 2018).

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Is a habitat generalist
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Pioneering in disturbed areas
• Benefits from human association (i.e. it is a human commensal)
• Long lived
• Fast growing
• Gregarious
• Reproduces asexually

• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Modification of successional patterns
• Monoculture formation
• Reduced native biodiversity
• Threat to/ loss of endangered species

• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Competition - shading
• Competition - strangling
• Rapid growth
• Rooting
• Produces spines, thorns or burrs

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately

Economic Value

Bougainvillea spectabilis is extensively commercialized as an ornamental and hedge plant. It is often planted near porches and in gardens and in parks for the shade it provides and for its attractive and colourful bracts. The flower bracts are used for making a drink known as Agua de Buganvilia across America and the Caribbean region. The thorny nature of the plant has led to it being planted around houses or fences to discourage intruders (Gilman, 1999; Fern, 2014; Salam et al., 2017; USDA-ARS, 2018).

Bougainvillea spectabilis contains pinitol, which is considered to be helpful in the treatment of diabetes. This compound exhibits an insulin-like effect and can thus serve as a hypoglycaemic agent. A study of aqueous and methanolic extracts of the leaves showed good glucose tolerance and significantly reduced intestinal glucosidase activity, with regeneration of insulin-producing cells and increase in plasma insulin. The results suggest a potential for the development of new treatments for diabetes (Xu et al., 2009; Chauhan et al., 2016).

Environmental Services

According to Sharma et al. (2005), bougainvilleas are pollution-tolerant plants which can help in the mitigation of air pollution. They are therefore recommended for planting in cities and along roadsides to mitigate environment pollution.