Posted on November 26, 2008 by Kate

The poinsettia (/p??n's?ti?/p or /??n's?t?/) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important flower varieties of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its green and red foliage and is trusted in Xmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett,[3] the first USA Minister to Mexico,[4] who introduced the plant to the US in 1825.

Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically achieving a elevation of 0.6-4 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 mistaken for flower petals for their groupings and colors often, but are actually leaves.[citation needed] The colors of the bracts are manufactured through photoperiodism, meaning that they might need darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to improve color. At the same time, the vegetation require considerable light throughout the day for the brightest color. The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and don't attract pollinators. These are grouped within small yellowish structures found in the center of each leaf number, and are called cyathia. The poinsettia is native to Mexico. It really is within the outdoors in deciduous exotic forests at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the complete Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is found in the inside in the hot also, seasonally dried forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Information of E. pulcherrima growing in the open in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be validated by botanists. A couple of over 100 cultivated types 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, indicating Easter flower. In Chile and Peru, the place became known as Crown of the Andes. In Turkey, it is called Atat?rk's flower 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 named Santa Claus' Bloom, and it's trusted as a Christmas decoration.

The plant's relationship with Christmas started out in 16th-century Mexico, where story tells of a girl, called Pepita or Maria commonly, who was too poor to give a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday and was motivated by an angel to assemble 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 vegetation in their Holiday get-togethers. The star-shaped leaf structure 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 decorations in homes, churches, office buildings, and across THE UNITED STATES anywhere else. They can be purchased in good sized quantities from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In america, 12 is Country wide Poinsettia Day dec.

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