Day 19 Even though we associate poinsettias with the midwinter

The poinsettia (/p??n's?ti?/ or /p??n's?t?/) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important herb varieties of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is specifically well known for its green and red foliage and it is widely used in Xmas floral shows. 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, reaching a elevation of 0 typically.6-4 metres (2 ft 0 in-13 ft 1 in). The place bears dark inexperienced dentate leaves that solution 7-16 centimetres (2.8-6.3 in) long. The coloured bracts--which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, red, white, or marbled--are often recognised incorrectly as bloom petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves.[citation needed] The colors of the bracts are manufactured through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At exactly the same time, the crops require numerous light during the full day for the brightest color. The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and don't attract pollinators. They are grouped within small yellowish structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, and are called cyathia. The poinsettia is local to Mexico. It is within the wild in deciduous exotic forests at modest elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. Additionally it is found in the interior in the hot, seasonally dried up forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Studies of E. pulcherrima growing in the open in Costa and Nicaragua Rica have yet to be confirmed by botanists. You will discover over 100 cultivated types of poinsettia.

The Aztecs used the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication. In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the plant is called 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 recognized as Flor de Pascua or Pascua, meaning Easter flower. In Peru and Chile, the plant became known as Crown of the Andes. In Turkey, it is named Atat?rk's blossom because Atat?rk, the creator of the Republic, liked this rose and made a substantial contribution to its cultivation in Turkey.[citation needed] In Hungarian, it is called Santa Claus' Rose, and it's widely used as a Christmas decoration.

The plant's relationship with Christmas started out in 16th-century Mexico, where story tells of a woman, called Pepita or Maria commonly, who was too poor to give a gift idea for the celebration of Jesus' birthday and was encouraged by an angel to assemble weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church 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 get-togethers. The star-shaped leaf routine is thought to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood vessels sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. Poinsettias are popular Xmas designs in homes, churches, office buildings, and across THE UNITED STATES anywhere else. They can be purchased in large numbers from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In the United States, Dec 12 is Country wide Poinsettia Day.

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