Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.

boungavillea, buganvilla, veranera, great bougainvillea

Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd., Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Photo: Ruben Heleno, CDF, 2010.
Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd., Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Photo: Ruben Heleno, CDF, 2010.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)

Order
Caryophyllales

Family
Nyctaginaceae

Genus
Bougainvillea

Species
spectabilis

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1985

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Agriculture/Horticulture

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Potentially Invasive

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

References

  • Clavijo, P. Valdebenito, H. & Hurtado, F. (1991) Plantas introducidas en las areas urbanas de las islas Galapagos. Typescript reports in files of Botany Dept.
  • Flores, E. (1985) Censo de Plantas Introducidas desde el Canal de Itabaca hasta Puerto Ayora. Tesis de Ingeniero Forestal, Univ. Técnica Luis Vargas Torres, Esmeraldas: 1-132.
  • Lawesson, J.E. (1987) Plantas exóticas en las Islas Galápagos, un resumen. Memorias. Taller sobre investigación Botánica y manejo en Galápagos. Pg. 17-23.
  • Lawesson, J.E. (s.a.) Pers. obs. field notes, collections 1985-7.
  • Lundh, J.P. (1995) Some additional information and comments on the Annotated Check list of Vascular Plants of the Galapagos Islands by Lawesson, Adsersen and Bentley. Charles Darwin Research Station, unpublished.
  • McMullen, C.K. (1999) Flowering plants of the Galapagos. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London, 370 pp.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Missouri Botanical Garden (eds.) (2013) The Plant List, Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed 1st January).

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Bougainvillea spectabilis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=637. Accessed 2 November 2026.