Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea glabra

The Bougainvillea, also known as Bougainville, bougainvillea, bougainvillea or Bougainvillea is a genus which belongs to the family of the magic flowers plants ( Nyctaginaceae ). There are about 18 species. The Bougainvillea species originally from South America. The varieties thrive now in all subtropical regions to southern Mediterranean. The genus name honors the French navigator and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville, after the island of Bougainville is named.

Description

Bougainvillea species are woody plants, rare climbing plants, usually shrubs or small trees. The shoot axes can be glabrous or hairy and often studded with spines. The arranged alternate, stalked leaves are simple ovate to elliptic - lanceolate with leaf blade. Stipules absent.

In the axillary zymösen inflorescences usually are only three petals and three large, bright colored bracts. The midrib of the leaf is egg-shaped high fused with the peduncle. The hermaphrodite flowers are radial symmetry. The five to six bracts are fused funnel-shaped. The cross section of the tube is round or a pentagon. The hem is narrow and consists of five to six short corners that are folded and fanned inside.

The five to ten stamens do not protrude from the flower tube. The hair-like, slightly unequal length stamens are fused at the base and broadened there wedge shaped. The anthers are paired up. The ovary is stalked, pressed fusiform and slightly to the side. The do not have the flower tube protruding stylus is short, filiform and straight or slightly curved and is occupied at least on a part with papillae.

The Anthokarp called fruit stand is spindle-shaped, membranous and fünfrippig. The embryo of the seed is hook-shaped.

Dissemination

The genus is native to South America, the distribution area extends from the Ecuadorian Andes to Brazil over the middle out.

Use

To grow because of their colorful bracts and the ability to walls and fences, they are often used as ornamental plants. In culture, there are three of the 18 species of the genus, of which there are several varieties. Among the cultivated species include spectabilis Bougainvillea glabra Bougainvillea.

System

A synonym for Bougainvillea Comm. ex Juss. is Tricycla Cav.

There are about 18 species (selection):

• Bougainvillea glabra Choisy ( Syn: Bougainvillea spectabilis var glabra ( Choisy ) Hook. )
• Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. ( Syn: Bougainvillea peruviana Nees & Mart, bougainvillea speciosa Schnizl. . )

There are also hybrid, where both Bougainvillea glabra and Bougainvillea spectabilis involved.