Did you know?: The Origin of Christmas, quot;The twelve days of Christmas

The poinsettia (/p??n's?ti?/ or /p??n's?t?/) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important place kinds of the diverse spurge family. The kinds is indigenous to Mexico. It is especially well known because of its renewable and red foliage which is widely used in Xmas floral exhibits. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett,[3] the first United States Minister to Mexico,[4] who introduced the plant to the united states in 1825.

Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically achieving a level of 0.6-4 metres (2 ft 0 in-13 ft 1 in). The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that strategy 7-16 centimetres (2.8-6.3 in) in length. The coloured bracts--which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, green, white, or marbled--are recognised incorrectly as blossom petals for their groupings and colors often, but are actually leaves.[citation needed] The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they might need darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At exactly the same time, the plant life require numerous light during the full day for the brightest color. The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and do not attract pollinators. These are grouped within small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, and are called cyathia. The poinsettia is indigenous to Mexico. It really is found in the untamed in deciduous exotic forests at average elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is found in the inside in the hot also, dry out forests of Guerrero seasonally, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Information of E. pulcherrima growing in the open in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be validated by botanists. You can find over 100 cultivated varieties of poinsettia.

The plant was used by the Aztecs to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication. In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the plant is named Cuitlaxochitl, meaning "flower that grows in residues or soil" Today it is well known in Mexico and Guatemala as Flor de Noche Buena, meaning Christmas Eve Flower. In Spain it is known as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, indicating Easter flower. In Peru and Chile, the vegetable became known as Crown of the Andes. In Turkey, it is named Atat?rk's bloom because Atat?rk, the founder of the Republic, liked this flower and made a significant contribution to its cultivation in Turkey.[citation needed] In Hungarian, it is called Santa Claus' Blossom, and it's widely used as a Xmas decoration.

The plant's connection with Christmas started in 16th-century Mexico, where story tells of a woman, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was simply too poor to give a surprise for the party of Jesus' birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them before the chapel altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the crops in their Christmas activities. The star-shaped leaf structure is thought to symbolize the Celebrity of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood vessels sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. Poinsettias are popular Christmas designs in homes, churches, office buildings, and in other places across North America. They are available in good sized quantities from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In america, December 12 is National Poinsettia Day.

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