Bougainvillea glabra (Paperflower)

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Bougainvillea glabra Choisy

Paperflower

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Caryophyllidae	Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
Order	Caryophyllales	Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
Family	Nyctaginaceae	Plants with unique fruits (“anthocarps”) and large pollen grains
Genus	Bougainvillea	Named in honor of the noted mathematician, scientist, lawyer, soldier, author and Fellow of the Royal Society of London, Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811), who from 1767 to 1769 sailed around the world
Species	glabra	Smooth or hairless

About plant names...

The plant and genus are named in honor of the noted mathematician, scientist, lawyer, soldier, author and Royal Society Fellow, Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811). But de Bougainville actually “took notice” of the species, he didn’t discover it. It was discovered in Brazil by Jacques Denys Choisy, in 1850. Paperflower is a South American native, now naturalized in Texas and Florida in North America. There are many cultivars, and it is popular among gardeners and bonsai enthusiasts. They prefer full sun.

Plants: Evergreen woody climbing plants are 10-15' (3-4.6 m), with hairy and thorny stems. Thorns are about ½" (1.3 cm). They form freestanding bushes or climb like vines over walls and fences.

Leaves: 1-4" (2.5-10 cm) long, elliptical, shiny, hairless, and alternate, with smoother edges than those of B. spectabilis. Sometimes the leaves are variegated.

Flowers: Bougainvilleas are kind of weird. Their flowers are cream-colored, about ⅜" (1 cm) in diameter, with pleated edges. But the bracts (modified leaves) surrounding the flowers come in a range of (often cultivated) attractive colors: many reds, lavendar, magenta, peach, yellow, and white. If you look closely at the colorful “petals,” they are clearly leaves. In this species, the bracts tend to be more triangular in shape. Flowers appear several times per year, from winter to early spring.

Medical: Many health-related benefits are attributed to bougainvilleas, but I cannot find any hard information on the topic.

These are closely similar:

7/7/2007 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 25 × 19" (62 × 48 cm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 11 × 7" (27 × 18 cm)

7/7/2007 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt

	You are here Bougainvillea glabra	*Bougainvillea spectabilis*
Common Name	paperflower	bougainvillea
Plant	Evergreen woody climbing plants are 10-15' (3-4.6 m), They form freestanding bushes or climb like vines over walls and fences.	Evergreen woody climbing plants are usually around 6' (1.8 m) but can be over 30' (9.1 m) high. They form freestanding bushes or climb like vines over walls and fences.
Flowers	Cream-colored, about ⅜" (1 cm) in diameter, with pleated edges. Bracts (modified leaves) surrounding the flowers come in a range of (often cultivated) colors: many reds, lavendar, magenta, peach, yellow, and white. *Bracts tend to be more triangular in shape. Flowers appear several times per year, from winter to early spring.*	Cream-colored, about ⅜" (1 cm) in diameter, with pleated edges. Bracts (modified leaves) surrounding the flowers come in a range of natural colors: red, dark pink, or purple. Cultivars come in other colors too: many reds, lavendar, magenta, peach, yellow, and white. Blooms are *seasonal, appearing after the dry season or after a cool spell*.
Leaves	1-4" (2.5-10 cm) long, *elliptical, shiny, hairless,* and alternate, with *smoother edges* than those of B. spectabilis. Sometimes the leaves are variegated.	1-4" (2.5-10 cm) long, *ovate, hairy,* and alternate, with *rippled edges*.
Stem	*Hairy* and thorny stems. Thorns are typically *less than ½" (1.3 cm).*	*Smooth* and thorny stems. Thorns are *greater than ½" (1.3 cm) long,* and sometimes bent.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 9-11	USDA Zones: 9a-11
Habitats	Subtropical to tropical	Subtropical to tropical
Type	Escaped cultivar	Wild

Online References:

Forest and Kim Starr’s Starr Environmental site

Www.creationwiki.org

Wikimedia Commons

The University of Hawai‘i’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at Mānoa (PDF)

Cals.arizona.edu

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 14 × 21" (34 × 52 cm)

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm)

2/24/1998 · Antigua ID is uncertain

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

Bougainvillea glabra description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 19 cm)

7/20/2007 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt ID is uncertain

7/7/2007 · Guam · By Jacquelyn Boyt

4/9/2015 · MacDonald‘s, Marco Island, Florida
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

4/6/2011 · Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, Maryland
≈ 11 × 7" (27 × 18 cm)

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 10 × 15" (26 × 39 cm)

Bonsai. · 12/12/2016 · Bonsai West, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

Range: Zones 9-11:

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