Bougainvillea: A Long Journey from Rio to Lucknow

Abstract

Bougainvillea, native of South American sub-tropics, was first collected by Commerson, a French Botanist, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who named it after Louis Antoine de Bougainville, the French navigator with whom he went on voyage around the world during 1766=1769. From its native sub-tropical regions, bougainvilleas were introduced to temperate regions of European countries, where these were grown in the glasshouse. The history of domestication of bougainvillea is 250 years old and in this period there have been many landmark in the bougainvillea cultivation. In India, Bougainvillea spectabilis was first introduced in Kolkata in 1860 from Europe and the improvement work on bougainvillea started in early 20th century, with the introduction of a few cultivars by the Agri-Horticultural Societies, Kolkata and Chennai. But it achieved its popularity in 1920 with the introduction of the cultivar ‘Mrs. Butt’ in Kolkata from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. Out of 10 species, only B. glabra Choisy, B. spectabilis Willdenow, B. peruviana Humboldt and Bonpland and a natural hybrid B. x buttiana Holttum and Standley, are of horticultural importance. Today, a large number of Bougainvillea cultivars (500 cvs.) are available from three to multibracted ones in various colour and shades to variegated foliage as aresult of natural selection and breeding. 50% of the Bougainvillea cultivars have been evolved in our country. India has been recognized as the International Registration Authority for Bougainvilleas. The Botanic Garden of CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow has rich germplasm collection of Bougainvillea (200 species/cvs) and serves as the reference centre.