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Bougainvillea

Compilation by Armando Gonzalez Stuart, PhD

Scientific Name:

Bougainvillea spectabilis

Botanical Family:

Nyctaginaceae

Other Common Name:

Pokok bunga kertas, Bougenville.

Common names in Spanish:

Buganvilla, Bugambilea, Napoleón , Veranera, Trinitaria , Santa Rita, and Papelillo.

Where is it found?

  • This thorny shrubby vine or tree is native to Brazil and Peru, and is cultivated as an ornamental plant in various subtropical and tropical regions of the world.

Parts of the plant used:

Principally the flowers, although the stem bark is sometimes used.

How is it used?

  • In Mexico, the fresh flowers of the plant are steeped in hot water to make tea.

What is it used for?

  • The flowers, alone or in combination with other medicinal plants, have long been used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of coughs and respiratory problems.
  • A related species, B. glabra, has been found to have important properties as a botanical insecticide.

 

Safety / Precautions

Safety/Precautions:

  • The safety of taking products made from this plant during pregnancy and lactation has not been established.
  • Bougainvillea sap may cause serious skin rashes.
  • The thorns may injure the skin.

Before you decide to take any medicinal herb or herbal supplement, be sure to consult with your health care professional first. Avoid self-diagnosis and self-medication: Always be on the safe side!

 

References:

  • Argueta A. Atlas de la Medicina Tradicional Mexicana (Vol. 1).
    México, D.F.: Instituto Nacional Indigenista; 1994.
  • Dinesh DS, Kumari S, Kumar V, Das P. The potentiality of botanicals and their products as an alternative to chemical insecticides to sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae): a review.
    J Vector Borne Dis. 2014;51(1):1-7.
  • Do LT, Aree T, Siripong P, Pham TN, Nguyen PK, Tip-Pyang S. Bougainvinones A-H, Peltogynoids from the Stem Bark of Purple Bougainvillea spectabilis and Their Cytotoxic Activity. J Nat Prod. 2016 ;79(4):939-45. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00996.
  • Kaldas RM, El Shafey AS, Shehata MG, Samy AM, Villinski JT. Experimental effect of feeding on Ricinus communis and Bougainvillea glabra on the development of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 2014;44(1):1-12.
  • Mabberley’s Plant Book 3rd ed.
    London: Cambridge University Press; 2008.
  • Mendoza-Castelán G, Lugo-Pérez R. Plantas Medicinales en los Mercados de México.
    Chapingo, Estado de México; Universidad Autónoma Chapingo; 2011.
  • Pennington TD, Reynel C, Daza A. Illustrated Guide to the Trees of Peru.
    Sherborne, Enlgand: David Hunt; 2004; pp. 147-148.
  • Quattrocchi, U. World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants (Vol.1).
    Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2012.
  • Schlein Y, Jacobson RL, Müller GC. Sand fly feeding on noxious plants: a potential method for the control of leishmaniasis. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2001; 65(4):300-3.
  • White R. Elsevier’s Dictionary of Plant Names of North America Including Mexico.
    Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2003.