The poinsettia (/p??n's?ti?/p or /??n's?t?/) (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a commercially important seed species of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly popular for its renewable and red foliage and is also trusted in Holiday 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 plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 7-16 centimetres (2.8-6.3 in) long. The coloured bracts--which are most flaming red but can be orange often, pale green, cream, green, white, or marbled--are often mistaken for bloom petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves.[citation needed] The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, and therefore they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At the same time, the vegetation require considerable light through the full day for the brightest color. The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming , nor 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 native to Mexico. It is found in the outdoors in deciduous tropical forests at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is found in the interior in the hot also, seasonally dry forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Records of E. pulcherrima growing in the wild in Costa and Nicaragua Rica have yet to be confirmed by botanists. You can find over 100 cultivated varieties 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 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 plant became known as Crown of the Andes. In Turkey, it is named Atat?rk's bloom 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' Blossom, and it's trusted as a Christmas decoration.
The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where story tells of a girl, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was too poor to provide a gift 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 Holiday celebrations. The star-shaped leaf structure is thought to symbolize the Celebrity of Bethlehem, and the red colorization represents the bloodstream sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. Poinsettias are popular Xmas accessories in homes, churches, office buildings, and elsewhere across North America. They are available in large numbers from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In america, Dec 12 is Country wide Poinsettia Day.
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