Bougainvillea spectabilis var. glabra (Choisy) W. J. Hooker.

Shrubs vinelike. Stems thick, branches pendent, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; spines axillary, 5-15 mm. Petiole 1 cm; leaf blade ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-13 × 3-6 cm, chartaceous, abaxially sparsely pubescent, adaxially glabrous. Foliaceous bracts purple or magenta, oblong or elliptic, 2.5-3.5 × 2 cm, chartaceous. Perianth tube greenish, distinctly angled, ca. 2 cm, sparsely pubescent, ribbed, apex 5-lobed, hairs short, curved away from pedicel. Stamens 6-8. Fl. winter-spring (in south), Mar-Jul. (in north or greenhouse).

This species is used as an ornamental and medicinal plant. It is better adapted to areas lacking a distinct dry season and flowers more or less continuously in perpetually humid conditions.

Widely cultivated. in China, outdoors in frost-free areas, in greenhouses elsewhere [native to South America (Brazil)].