poinsettia

American  

[poin-set-ee-uh, -set-uh] / pɔɪnˈsɛt i ə, -ˈsɛt ə /

noun

1. a plant, Euphorbia (Poinsettia ) pulcherrima, of the spurge family, native to Mexico and Central America, having variously lobed leaves and brilliant scarlet, pink, or white petallike bracts.

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poinsettia British  

/ pɔɪnˈsɛtɪə /

noun

1. a euphorbiaceous shrub, Euphorbia (or Poinsettia ) pulcherrima, of Mexico and Central America, widely cultivated for its showy scarlet bracts, which resemble petals

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Etymology

Origin of poinsettia

1830–40; < New Latin, named after J. R. Poinsett (1799–1851), American minister to Mexico, who discovered the plant there in 1828; see -ia

Explanation

The bright red potted plants you see everywhere at Christmastime are called poinsettias. This plant is so commonly associated with the holiday that it's also known as Christmas Star. Poinsettias come from Mexico, and they get their name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the United States' First Minister to Mexico in the 1820s. Besides unsuccessfully attempting to acquire new U.S. territory from Mexico, Poinsett was an amateur botanist who admired the brilliant red and green Flor de Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve flowers. His success lay in introducing the poinsettia to North America.

Example Sentences

Its first Poinsettia Festival was held in 1975 and quickly became a dazzling seasonal celebration attracting visitors from throughout the West.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 15, 2022

University staff later placed pots of Poinsettia flowers, a popular Christmas decoration in Hong Kong, around the barricades.

From Reuters • Dec. 23, 2021

Poinsettia owners who are worried that their green thumb isn’t good enough to keep these plants alive might feel comfort in knowing that this tropical flower has been bred to have higher survival odds.

From Fox News • Dec. 10, 2021

RIP: Poinsettia family matriarch Elisabeth “Jinx” Ecke is remembered as a mom, friend, businesswoman and philanthropist.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2019

Poinsettia Pulcherrima.—A stove evergreen shrub which produces lovely crimson bracts in the winter.

From Gardening for the Million by Pink, Alfred