A flower in winter: The story of the poinsettia
<p><span word="Poinsettias">Poinsettias</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span>-<span word="selling">selling</span> <span word="potted">potted</span> <span word="flowering">flowering</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>. <span word="Red">Red</span> <span word="poinsettias">poinsettias</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> <span word="celebrations">celebrations</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="sold">sold</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="wintertime">wintertime</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Department">Department</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Agriculture">Agriculture</span> <span word="estimates">estimates</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="bought">bought</span> $250 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="poinsettias">poinsettias</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="poinsettia">poinsettia</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="native">native</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Central">Central</span> <span word="America">America</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="warmth">warmth</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span>. <span word="Bright">Bright</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="poinsettias">poinsettias</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="best">best</span> <span word="known">known</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="kinds">kinds</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="colors">colors</span> <span word="including">including</span> <span word="white">white</span>, <span word="pink">pink</span>, <span word="yellow">yellow</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="purple">purple</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="flowers">flowers</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="poinsettia">poinsettia</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="small">small</span>. <span word="Around">Around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="flowers">flowers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="colorful">colorful</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="bracts">bracts</span>. <span word="These">These</span> <span word="bracts">bracts</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="beauty">beauty</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="poinsettia">poinsettia</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="named">named</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Joel">Joel</span> <span word="Roberts">Roberts</span> <span word="Poinsett">Poinsett</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Carolina">Carolina</span>. <span word="In">In</span> 1825 <span word="President">President</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Quincy">Quincy</span> <span word="Adams">Adams</span> <span word="appointed">appointed</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>' <span word="first">first</span> <span word="minister">minister</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Mexico">Mexico</span>. <span word="Poinsett">Poinsett</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="interest">interest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="plants">plants</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="saw">saw</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="colorful">colorful</span> <span word="plants">plants</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wild">wild</span>. <span word="Wild">Wild</span> <span word="poinsettias">poinsettias</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="tall">tall</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="liked">liked</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="sent">sent</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="cuttings">cuttings</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="botanical">botanical</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Euphorbia">Euphorbia</span> <span word="pulcherrima">pulcherrima</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="Latin">Latin</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="means">means</span> "<span word="most">most</span> <span word="beautiful">beautiful</span> <span word="euphorbia">euphorbia</span>." <span word="There">There</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="hundreds">hundreds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="related">related</span> <span word="plants">plants</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="rubber">rubber</span> <span word="trees">trees</span>, <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="castor">castor</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tung">tung</span> <span word="oil">oil</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cassava">cassava</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="root">root</span> <span word="crop">crop</span>.</p><p><span word="People">People</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="allergic">allergic</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latex">latex</span> <span word="produced">produced</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="rubber">rubber</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="develop">develop</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mild">mild</span> <span word="skin">skin</span> <span word="rash">rash</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="poinsettia">poinsettia</span> <span word="plants">plants</span>. <span word="Babies">Babies</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pets">pets</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="chew">chew</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="poinsettias">poinsettias</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="sick">sick</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="experts">experts</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="poisonous">poisonous</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="think">think</span>.</p>
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