Bougainvillea Bougainvillea is a popular plant that can be found in areas with warm climates. Native to South America, the plant had been distributed to, and propagated in British colonies throughout the world after its discovery by European voyagers of circumnativation. The bougainvillea is an attractive plant for flower enthusiasts who are drawn to its radiant and colorful blossoms, which resemble crisp paper. They are thorny, woody, vines that grow anywhere. They could grow into large clusters or pruned into a standard. They also grow along fence lines, in containers, under water or in the dessert. The flowers appear in bold shades of pink, lavender, red, gold, orange, or in multiple colors as a result of interbreeding among the species. Currently, there are over 300 varieties of bougainvillea around the world but it is often difficult to identify their respective origins since many are hybrids that have been crossed over several generations, along with natural mutations that seem to occur spontaneously. Traditionally, a tea of bougainvillea flowers had been used to relieve upper respiratory tract problems. In Mexican folk medicine, the tea had also been used for treating a cough. The leaves of the species Bougainvillea spectabilis are a source of a newly discovered compound, pinitol, used to treat metabolic diseases such as insulin-resistant diabetes. Studies have shown that the leaf extracts helped enhance glucose tolerance and significantly reduced intestinal glucosidase activity, along with regeneration of insulin-producing cells and increase in plasma insulin. Bougainvillea has also been shown to maintain HDL-LDL balance and help with age-related blood pressure problems. Extracts of both its leaves and flowers have been shown to be anti-ulcerative, anti-diarrhoeal and anti-microbial. BE WARNED, however! Some research seems to suggest that inappropriate consumption of bougainvillea leaves may lead to infertility problems. My Take: I wish to see bougainvillea from Grenada in the flower marketplace in New York and/or Florida as a strategy to strengthen self-reliance and economic growth in Grenada. What is your take?
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 17:47:13 +0000
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