any of a genus (Bougainvillea) of woody tropical vines of the four-o'clock family, having inconspicuous flowers surrounded by large, showy purple or red bracts
See bougainvillea in American Heritage Dictionary 4
also bou·gain·vil·lae·a(bo͞oˌgən-vĭlˈē-ə, -vĭlˈyə, -vēˈə, bōˌ-)
noun
Any of several South American woody shrubs or vines of the genus Bougainvillea having groups of three petallike, showy, variously colored bracts attached to the flowers.