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Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea sp.), a popular tropical and sub-tropical ornamental flower, belongs to the family Nyctaginaceae. The plant family Nyctaginaceae family consists of 28 genera and 250 species. Spectacular bougainvillea of different varieties have been cultivated and used in landscaping Singapore and establishing it as a garden city.
Origins and distribution
Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French navigator, first discovered Bougainville in Brazil in the 18th century. In Latin, glaber means "smooth", signifying the smooth appearance of the flowers of Bougainvillea glabra. Bougainvillea soon established itself around the world as a decorative garden plant. Two most common species, Bougainvillea glabra and Bougainvillea spetabilis, were cross-bred and hybridised to gave rise to numerous hybrid varieties. There are 14 related species of bougainvillea in South America. In Malaysia and Singapore the four most common main varieties of bougainvillea are Bougainvillea glabra, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Bougainvillea mrs butt and Bougainvillea peruviana. Apart from that, hybrid varieties of Bougainvillea x buttiana hybrid and Bougainvillea spectoglabra are also commonly used. Bougainvillea, one of Singapore's most popular garden plants, is extensively used here because it is one of the few plants that flowers all year though in the local hot and wet weather conditions. Flowering is encouraged in the plants here by controlling watering and fertilising, as the plants do not grow well if over watered and over fed. The plants can be propagated through cuttings.
Tree: It is an evergreen shrub growing to a maximum of seven m. In cool or dry weather conditions, it can become semi-deciduous. Overgrown shoots of the plant attach themselves to surrounding areas that can be a good support base with the help of woody thorns.
Leaves: They are ovate, simple, alternately arranged, and leaf stalks are 1 to 2.5 cm long.
Flowers: They are trumpet shaped, bisexual, small, white, inconspicuous and occur in threes. Large colourful bracts, commonly mistaken for petals, surround the cream flowers to attract pollinators. In the Southeast Asia, Bougainvillea glabra flowers perennially, whereas the flowers of B.spectabilis, requiring a lot of sunlight with well-drained soil, look best in dry season. Most common colours of the bracts are magenta, purple, white, orange and crimson., though "rainbow" bougainvilleas with flowers of two colours on the same plant are common today. The five sepals are attached in a narrow tube with five whitish pink lobes.
Fruits: They are small, dry, have one seed and have five ribs on them.
Usage and potential
The plant has no known medicinal or chemical properties and has no other use apart from being grown for its ornamental purposes. The flowers give the plants a full and bright appearance and the plants can be layered or cut into desired shapes. They can be trained to grow as trees, scramblers and in other different shapes and ways. They can be grown in pots, and nurtured as vines around a tall support or in the ground. This flexibility makes the plant popular for topiaries. They are also used for hedging and screening purposes in homes and gardens. Because of their radiant colours, free flowering property and easy maintenance requirements, bougainvillea is widely planted in parks, avenues and landscapes in Singapore.
Common name: Bougainvillea.
Scientific name: Bougainvillea spp.
Malay names: Bunga kertas, buganvil, buginvila (Malaysia), kembang kertas (Indonesia).
Chinese name: Ye Zi Hua (Mandarin).
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja
Warren, W. (1996). Tropical flowers of Malaysia and Singapore (p. 12). Singapore: Periplus Editions (HK).
(Call no.: RSING 581.95957 WAR)
Wee, Y. C. (2003). Tropical trees and shrubs: A selection for urban planting (pp. 54-55). Singapore: Sun Tree.
(Call no.: SING 582.16095957 WEE)
Department of agriculture, Malaysia. (2004-2004). Flower technology: Bougainvillea (Baougainvillea sp). Retrieved January 10, 2005, from agrolink.moa.my/doa/bdc/bougainvella.html
The information in this article is valid as at 1999 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.