There are 3 species of Bougainvillea: B. peruviana, B. glabra, and B. spectabilis. They differ in the width and levels of pubescence of the perianth tube.
Habit: Bougainvillea sp. grows as a climbing, spiny shrub/liana. The leaves are arranged alternately, cordate to deltoid, to 10 cm in length, with an entire leaf margin, and an acute/acuminate leaf apex.
The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are in clusters in leaf axils and subtended by pink, red, orange, or white, very showy, bracts. The calyx has 5 fused green sepals. The corolla has 5 fused, white petals forming an elongate tube. There are 8, fused at their base, stamens. The ovary is superior with 1 locule and ovule.
Habitat: Bougainvillea sp. grows in Human Altered environments (yards and gardens).
Distribution: Bougainvillea sp. occurs is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago. It is native to South America but now occurs throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world
Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Bougainvillea is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.
Bougainvillea is grown as an ornamental due to the showy floral bracts.