Bougainvillea glabra

9.2

A woody climbing plant with bright paper-like flowers that blooms most of the year

noun
/ˌbuːɡənˈvɪliə ˈɡlæbrə/

Specialized

: bugambilia glabra

The garden's centerpiece was a Bougainvillea glabra in full bloom, covered in dazzling magenta bracts.

Examples

She planted a Bougainvillea glabra along the fence, where it flourished in the summer sun.
Hummingbirds were frequently seen hovering near the Bougainvillea glabra to sip nectar from its tiny flowers.
The Bougainvillea glabra blooms beautifully in the summer.
I planted a Bougainvillea glabra in my garden.
Hummingbirds were frequently seen hovering near the Bougainvillea glabra to sip nectar from its tiny flowers.
She planted a Bougainvillea glabra along the fence, where it flourished in the summer sun.
The garden's centerpiece was a Bougainvillea glabra in full bloom, covered in dazzling magenta bracts.

Surface Forms

Bougainvillea glabra singular

Bougainvillea glabras plural

Morphology

Bougainvillea + glabra

This is a Linnaean binomial (genus + species epithet): knowing 'Bougainvillea' as a genus of tropical vines and 'glabra' as a descriptive epithet (Latin for 'smooth'/'hairless') lets a learner infer it denotes a particular species of Bougainvillea with that trait. The genus+epithet composition is regular and cross-linguistically recognizable, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Bougainvillea glabra is named after the French explorer Bougainville, who brought bright vines back from his trips to South America, so the plant's name remembers him. The second word glabra means 'smooth', which helps describe this garden vine, so the full name points to this bright, smooth-leaved ornamental vine.