The Kona Times: Signs of Christmas in Kona, Hawaii

The poinsettia (/p??n's?ti?/p or /??n's?t?/) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important herb kinds of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is specifically popular because of its red and renewable foliage which is trusted 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, achieving a elevation of 0 typically.6-4 metres (2 ft 0 in-13 ft 1 in). The flower bears dark renewable dentate leaves that measure 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, pink, white, or marbled--are often mistaken for flower petals for their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves.[citation needed] The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to improve color. At the same time, the vegetation require numerous light during the day for the brightest color. The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and don't attract pollinators. They are simply grouped within small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf number, and are called cyathia. The poinsettia is indigenous to Mexico. It is found in the wild in deciduous tropical forests at average elevations from southern Sinaloa down the complete Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is also found in the inside in the hot, seasonally dry out forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Records 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 utilized 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 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, signifying Easter flower. In Peru and Chile, the place became known as Crown of the Andes. In Turkey, it is called Atat?rk's rose because Atat?rk, the creator 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' Flower, and it's widely used as a Christmas decoration.

The plant's connection 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 for the special event of Jesus' birthday and was influenced 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 plants in their Christmas activities. The star-shaped leaf structure is said to symbolize the Celebrity of Bethlehem, and the red colorization represents the blood vessels sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. Poinsettias are popular Holiday accessories in homes, churches, office buildings, and across North America anywhere else. They can be purchased in good sized quantities from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In america, 12 is Country wide Poinsettia Day december.

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