“ bougainvillea, (genus Bougainvillea), genus of about 18 species of shrubs, vines, or
small trees, belonging to the four-o’clock family (Nyctaginaceae),
native to South America. Many species are thorny.
Only the woody vines have attained wide popularity; several species have produced very showy cultivated varieties, which are often grown indoors and in conservatories. ”