Ihmeköynnökset – Bougainvillea

Trunks are many and stems are often clumping. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, entire. Blades are 5-10 cm long, with much variation in shape: e.g. ovate to broadly elliptic, sharp-pointed, and with undulate margins. Flowers are in groups of 1-3, small, tubular, white or yellow, with 5-6 perianth lobes. Each flower is subtended by a persistent, colorful leaf-like bract.  The fruit is an elongated achene, rather inconspicuous, up to about 1 cm long, and has a dry, hard fruit cover.