158 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
as the pink poinsettia, has oval-elliptical leaves 10-12 cm. 
long, more deeply cut than those of the red poinsettia. The 
flowers are larger and more spreading, the bracts are numer- 
ous, well-formed, and of a pleasing salmon-pink tinge. It 
possesses other advantages over its red parent, in that it is 
2 or 3 weeks earlier and has greater lasting qualities, the 
bracts having been known to last 75 days without dropping 
off or losing color. Other crosses have been made, among 
which the most interesting is one showing a tendency toward 
yellow. This may be a turning point toward the develop- 
ment of a yellow type, which would greatly increase the 
scope of usefulness of the poinsettia. ‘Two other varieties 
are observed occasionally, the F. pulcherrima var. alba (yel- 
lowish white) and E. pulcherrima var. albida (white with 
a pinkish tinge). 
For decorative purposes the poinsettias may be used as 
cut flowers with 2 or 3 feet of stem, or as pot plants. The 
latter method is more satisfactory because the bracts and 
foliage will often wilt badly when cut. This may be rem- 
edied to a certain extent by cauterizing the stems when first 
cut, i, e., plunging them in boiling water and then in cold 
water. Dipping the stems in melted wax or burning with a 
hot iron is not desirable because the absorption of water is 
interfered with. 
The comparatively simple culture of the poinsettia adds 
to its popularity. The plants require a long period of rest, 
being dried off for a period of 10-12 weeks. The old plants 
after flowering in January are placed on their sides in a 
temperature of 45-50° F. and kept in a dormant condition 
until April or May. At this time they are shaken out of 
their old pots and repotted into new rich soil. The plants 
are then cut back to sound wood and placed upon a sunny 
bench at a temperature of 60° F. . Aided by frequent syrin- 
ging the buds soon start at the top, and in 4 or 5 weeks the 
rst crop of cuttings may be taken. When this has been 
accomplished the stock plants should be plunged outdoors, 
as the cuttings made from outdoor growth make better 
plants. The last cuttings should not taken later than 
August, these forming satisfactory plants in small pans for 
table decoration at Christmas. 
The most common way of taking cuttings is to cut off a 
shoot 4-5 inches in length, with a heel of the older wood, 
care being taken to leave at least one bud at the base which 
will break and produce other cuttings. Some growers think 
that the cuttings root more readily and the milky juice is 
not wasted to such a large extent if at first the shoots are 
