- "Christmas Star" redirects here. For the Christian tradition, see Star of Bethlehem. See also Star of Bethlehem (plant. The Star of Bethlehem, also called the Christmas Star, is a star in Christian tradition
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| Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch |
Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly named poinsettia, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico, and native to the Pacific coast of the United States. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The shrub occurs in some parts of central and southern Mexico, and a few localities in Guatemala. [1] The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Ambassador to Mexico, who introduced the plant into the US in 1825. Joel Roberts Poinsett ( March 2, 1779 &ndash December 12, 1851) was a Physician, Botanist and American The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823 when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to The alternative names for the poinsettia are: Mexican flame leaf, Christmas star, Winter rose, Noche Buena, Lalupatae, Atatürk çiçeği ("Flower of Atatürk", in Turkey), Αλεξανδρινό (Alexandrian, in Greece), Pascua and Stelle di Natale (in Italy). Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881 &ndash 10 November 1938 was an army officer revolutionary Statesman Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest
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Description
Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0. 6 to 4 m (2 to 16 ft). The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 7 to 16 cm (3 to 6 inches) in length. The top leaves, known as bracts, are flaming red, pink, or white and are often mistaken as flowers. In Botany, a bract is a modified or specialized Leaf. Bracts are ordinarily associated with reproductive structures (subtending Flowers Inflorescence The actual flowers are grouped within the small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, which are called cyathia. The very special pseudanthia in the genus Euphorbia ( Euphorbiaceae) are known as Cyathia.
The species is found in the wild in deciduous tropical forest at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and into Guatemala. Sinaloa is one of the 31 states of Mexico. Geography Sinaloa is bordered to the north by Sonora and Chihuahua; to the south Chiapas is the southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest It is also found in the interior in the hot, seasonally dry forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. The State of Guerrero is a state in the southern meridional region of Mexico. The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), in Spanish phonemically /oa'xaka/ named for its largest city, is one of the
Cultivars have been produced with orange, pale green, cream and marbled leaves. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar
There are 109 varieties of poinsettia available. 74% of Americans prefer red poinsettias, 8% prefer white, and 6% prefer pink. [2].
History of the poinsettia and the Christmas tradition
In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the plant is called Cuitlaxochitl meaning "star flower. Nahuatl ( is a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan or Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political " The Aztecs used the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political Antipyretics are Drugs that reduce body temperature in situations such as Fever. [3] In both Chile and Peru, the plant became known as "Crown of the Andes".
The plants' association with Christmas originated in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. [4] From the 17th century, Franciscan monks in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. [5]
In the United States, December 12th is National Poinsettia Day.
American poinsettia monopoly
Until 19 years ago, the Paul Ecke Family of Encinitas, California, had a virtual monopoly on poinsettias owing to a technological secret that made it difficult for others to compete. Encinitas is a coastal city in northern San Diego County California, United States. The key to producing more desirable poinsettias is to create a fuller, more compact plant. A poinsettia left to grow on its own will naturally take an open, somewhat weedy look. The Eckes' technique, which involved grafting two varieties of poinsettia together, made it possible to get every seedling to branch, resulting in a bushier plant. However, in the 1990s, a university researcher discovered the method and published it; now the technique is widespread. [6]
Cultivation
In areas outside its natural environment it is commonly grown as an indoor plant where it prefers good morning sun then shade in the hotter part of the day. However it is widely grown and very popular in subtropical climates such as Sydney, Australia. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4
As this is a subtropical plant, it will likely perish if the night-time temperature falls below 10° C (50° F) so is not suitable for planting in the ground in cooler climates. Likewise daytime temperatures in excess of 21° C (70° F) tend to shorten the lifespan of the plant.
The poinsettia is also cultivated in Egypt since 1860s, it was brought from Mexico during Egyptian campaign around 1860s. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. It is called "Bent El Consul", "the consul's daughter", referring to U. S. ambassador Mr. Poinsett.
The poinsettia can be difficult to induce to reflower after the initial display when purchased. The plant requires a period of uninterrupted long, dark nights for around two months in autumn in order to develop flowers. Autumn (also known as fall in North American English) is one of the four Temperate Seasons Autumn marks the transition from Summer Incidental light at night during this time will hamper flower production. When watering it is important to allow the plant to drain out any excess water. Having a poinsettia sit in water can do harm to the plant as it prefers moist soil to direct water.
In order to produce extra axillary buds that are necessary for plants containing multiple flowers, a phytoplasma infection – whose symptoms include the proliferation of axillary buds – is used. Phytoplasma, formerly known as 'Mycoplasma-like organisms' or MLOs are specialised bacteria that are obligate Parasites of plant Phloem tissue and of some [7]
Diseases
Rumoured toxicity
In the United States and perhaps elsewhere, there is a common misconception that poinsettias are toxic. This article is a list of diseases of Poinsettias ( Euphorbia pulcherrima) Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism The origin of this could be found in the fact that most plants of the spurge genus are indeed toxic and also because the name of the plant seems to refer to the word poison. Euphorbia is a Genus of Plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by This misconception was spread by a 1919 urban legend[8] of a two-year-old child dying after consuming a poinsettia leaf. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them While it is true that the plant is not very toxic, those sensitive to latex may suffer an allergic reaction and it is therefore not advisable to bring the plants into the home of sensitive individuals.
In a study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine 22,793 cases of poinsettia exposures were electronically analyzed. 98. 9% of the exposures were accidental with 93. 9% involving children. 96. 1% of the exposed patients were not treated in a health care facility and 92. 4% did not require any type of therapy. [9] If eaten, poinsettias may sometimes cause diarrhea and vomiting in animals and humans. In Medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea (see spelling differences) is frequent loose or liquid Bowel movements Acute diarrhea Vomiting (also called throwing up, emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's Stomach through the Mouth and sometimes the [10]
Cocktail
- A poinsettia cocktail is a mixture of dry sparkling white wine, vodka, and cranberry juice. A cocktail is a style of Mixed drink. Originally a mixture of distilled spirits, Sugar, Water, and Bitters, the word has gradually Vodka is one of the world's most popular Distilled beverages It is a clear liquid which consists of mostly Water and Ethanol purified by Distillation Cranberries are a group of Evergreen dwarf Shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos
Gallery
 The bright red leaves resemble petals, dwarfing the clusters of tiny flowers in the center. |  Poinsettia bush |  A christmas tree of poinsettias in San Diego |  A pink poinsettia |
 Poinsettia with multiple bracts |  Poinsettia |  Poinsettia's live long after Christmas, even indoors. A Christmas tree, Yule tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum (fir tree is one of the most popular Traditions associated with the celebration In Botany, a bract is a modified or specialized Leaf. Bracts are ordinarily associated with reproductive structures (subtending Flowers Inflorescence |
References
- ^ Mexico
- ^ The Poinsettia Pages (html). Retrieved on 2007-12-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian
- ^ Poinsettia Facts
- ^ Flowers Ireland
- ^ The Legends and Traditions of Holiday Plants | Horticulture and Home Pest News
- ^ Cynthia Crossen, "Holiday's Ubiquitous Houseplant," Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2000.
- ^ Lee et al. (1997) Phytoplasma induced free branching in commercial poinsettia cultivars. Nature Biotechnology 15 178-182
- ^ Poinsettia plants are poisonous to humans. (snopes. com) July 30, 2007
- ^ Poinsettia Facts
- ^ Are Poinsettia Plants Poisonous? Fact or Fiction? (html). Retrieved on 2007-12-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian
External links
- The Wild Poinsettia Page: Images of Euphorbia pulcherrima in the wild in Mexico
- Snopes on toxicity
- USDA PLANTS Database, Symbol EUPU9, E. pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch
- Poinsettia pages at the University of Illinois, UIUC
- Poinsettia Q&A from Master Gardener Kris
- Poinsettias in Africa
- Ohio State University Fact Sheet.
- Poinsettia FAQ.
- Poinsettia at home.
- Hardingnursery
- History of Poinsettia Day
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