poinsettia

Euphorbia pulcherrima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Genus:	Euphorbia
Species:	E. pulcherrima
Binomial name
Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch

Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as poinsettia, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Guatemala. The name "poinsettia" is after Joel Roberts Poinsett,^[1] the first United States Minister to Mexico,^[2] who introduced the plant into the US in 1828.

Description

Leaves, bracts & flowers at Jayanti in Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India.

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 colored bracts -- which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white or marbled -- are actually leaves. Because of their groupings and colors, laypeople often think these are the flower petals of the plant. In fact, the flowers are grouped within the small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, and they are called cyathia.

The species is native to Mexico.^[3] It 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 Guatemala. It is also found in the interior in the hot, seasonally dry forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Reports of E. pulcherrima growing in the wild in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be confirmed by scientists.

There are over 100 varieties of poinsettia available. 74% of Americans prefer red poinsettias, 8% prefer white, and 6% prefer pink.^[4]

Christmas tradition

In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the plant is called Cuetlaxochitl meaning "skin flower." The Aztecs used the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication.^[5] Today it is known in Mexico and Guatemala as "Noche Buena" or Christmas' Eve. In Spain its is known as "Flor de Pascua" or Easter Flower in English. In both Chile and Peru, the plant became known as "Crown of the Andes".

The plants' association with Christmas began 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.^[6] From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.^[7]

Poinsettias are popular Christmas decorations^[1] in homes, churches, offices, and elsewhere across North America. They are available in large numbers from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In the United States, December 12 is National Poinsettia Day.

American poinsettia monopoly

Until the 1990s, the Ecke family of Encinitas, California, had a virtual monopoly on poinsettias owing to a technological secret that made it difficult for others to compete. 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.^[8]

Albert Ecke immigrated from Germany to Los Angeles in 1900, opening a dairy and orchard in the Eagle Rock area. He became intrigued by the plant and sold them from street stands. His son, Paul Ecke developed the grafting technique, but it was the third generation of Eckes, Paul Ecke, Jr., that really was responsible for cultivating the association between the plant and the winter holidays. Besides changing the market from mature plants shipped by rail to cuttings sent by air, he sent free plants to television stations for them to display on air from Thanksgiving to Christmas. He also appeared on television programs like The Tonight Show and Bob Hope's Christmas specials to market the plants.^[9]

However, in the 1990s, a university researcher discovered the method and published it, opening the door for competitors to flourish, particularly in Latin America where the cost of labor is far lower. The Eckes family, now led by Paul Eckes III, no longer grows any on farms in the U.S., but as of 2008, they still control about 70% of the domestic market and 50% of the worldwide market.^[9]

Cultivation

Poinsettia farm in Bukidnon, Philippines

A close-up photo of a Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

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.

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.^{[citation needed]}

The poinsettia is also cultivated in Egypt since 1860s, it was brought from Mexico during Egyptian campaign around 1860s. It is called "Bent El Consul", "the consul's daughter", referring to U.S. ambassador Mr. Poinsett.^{[citation needed]}

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. 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.^[10]

Diseases

Rumoured toxicity

In the United States and perhaps elsewhere, there is a common misconception that the poinsettia is toxic. This is not true; it is at most mildly irritating to the skin or stomach^[3] and may sometimes cause diarrhea and vomiting if eaten.^[11] Sap introduced into the human eye may cause temporary blindness.^[12] An American Journal of Emergency Medicine study showed that a strong majority of poinsettia exposures are accidental, involve children, and do not result in any type of medical treatment.^[13]

The origin of this myth 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. This misconception was spread by a 1919 urban legend^[14] of a two-year-old child dying after consuming a poinsettia leaf. 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.

Cocktail

• A poinsettia cocktail is a mixture of dry sparkling white wine, vodka (or Cointreau or Triple Sec), and cranberry juice.

Gallery

Trunk at Jayanti in Buxa Tiger Reserve in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India	The bright red leaves resemble petals, dwarfing the clusters of tiny flowers in the center.	Poinsettia bush	Christmas tree of poinsettias in San Diego
Pink poinsettia	Poinsettia with multiple bracts	Poinsettia	Poinsettias live long after Christmas, even indoors.
Poinsetta flowers.

References

External links

The Wikibook Horticulture has a page on the topic of Euphorbia pulcherrima

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Euphorbia pulcherrima

• Poinsettia Culture & Care on CultureSheet.org
• 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