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; -ia

Example Sentences

Then what about a selection of poinsettias — the country’s top-selling potted flowering plant — in eye-popping colors?

From Los Angeles Times

Here are plants and flowers to enjoy, one for every month of the year, from lilacs, camellias and poinsettias to native buckwheat, wildflowers and toyon.

From Los Angeles Times

The family business was sold in 2012, and the company’s poinsettias are primarily grown in Guatemala now.

From Los Angeles Times

“It will be many years into the future that I do not want for the best poinsettia you can find in the region.”

From Seattle Times

The greenhouses burst with poinsettias splashing holiday color everywhere — crimson, magenta, cream, fuchsia, cranberry.

From Seattle Times