Bougainvillea ( or ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees with flower-like spring leaves near its flowers. Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus. They are
native plants of South America from
Brazil west to
Peru and south to southern
Argentina (
Chubut Province). Bougainvillea are also known as
buganvilla (
Spain),
bugambilia (
Mexico,
Cuba,
Philippines),
Napoleón (
Honduras),
veranera (
Colombia,
Nicaragua,
El Salvador,
Costa Rica and
Panama),
trinitaria (
Colombia,
Panama,
Puerto Rico,
Dominican Republic &
Venezuela),
Santa Rita (
Argentina,
Bolivia,
Brazil,
Paraguay and
Uruguay) or
papelillo (
northern Peru).