Red poinsettia flower with shiny water droplets on the leaves. Neutral background. Concept of nature, Christmas and joyful season.
Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.6ââ¬â4 metres 2ââ¬â13 ft. The plant bears dark green dentate leaves that measure 7ââ¬â16 centimetres 2.8ââ¬â6.3 in in length. The colored bractsââ¬âwhich are normally flaming red, with cultivars being orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbledââ¬âare often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves.The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness at least fourteen hours at a time for 6ââ¬â8 weeks in a row to change color. The plants also require abundant light during the day for the brightest color.
The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and do not attract pollinators. They are grouped within the cyathia small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, or false flowers. Nothing is known about pollination in wild poinsettias, though wasps are noted to occasionally visit the cyathia. All flowers in the Euphorbiaceae are unisexual either male or female only, and they are often very small in size. In Euphorbia, the flowers are reduced even more and then aggregated into an inflorescence or cluster of flowers.
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