97 
POINSETTIA PULCHERRIMA. 
(SHOWY POINSETTIA.) 
CLASS. ORDER. 
MONOECIA. * MONANDRIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
EUPHORBIACEJE. 
Generic Character. — Involucrum, four- pieced. Flowers, partially stalked, naked. Male flowers in 
two parts, one-stamened. Female flowers solitary. Germen three-lobed. Ovulum solitary, with 
single lobes. 
Specific Character. — Shrub erect, ram ous ; branches round, young shoots bluntly four-angled, green, 
glabrous, hollow. Leaves scattered, occasionally opposite, spreading, petiolate, ovato-elliptical, 
subacute, sinuated, veined, soft and pubescent on both sides, bright green above, paler below. 
Petioles furrowed above. Bracteos similar in shape to the leaves, but aggregated at the extremities 
of the branches, and splendid vermilion colour, paler below. Cymes terminal, subtrifid, at length 
falling off at a joint in the common footstalk. Involucres on short stout footstalks, articulated at the 
base, green ovato orbicular, toothed, marked by five sutures on the outside ; with which, alternate on 
the inside, five falcate processes, beginning with the narrow extremities at the mouth of the 
involucre, and, adhering to this with their backs, becoming gradually broader below, passing 
inwards, and attached to an elevation in the centre, they divide the lower part of the involucre into 
five distinct cells, and supporting on their edges erect fimbriae, they divide the upper part also, but 
less completely. Teeth of the involucre numerous, coloured like the bractese, woolly on the 
inside, connivent. Appendage single, on the outside of the involucre towards the axis of the cyme, 
round, entire, peltate, folded in the middle so as to appear two-lipped, nectariferous ; four yellow teeth 
placed round the mouth of the involucre are abortive appendages. Male flowers about fourteen, in 
two rows in each loculamcnt, aud rising from its base, erect, petiolate, naked, nionandrous, mixed 
with chaffs (abortive male flowers ?) which are woolly at the apex, and occasionally tinged red there. 
Petioles colourless, as long as the involucre. Filament red. Anthers two-lobed, lobes 
divaricated, so that those which are next each other in the two rows overlap, opening at a deep furrow 
along their outside. Pollen grannies yellow, lenticular. Female flowers solitary, central, on a 
short stout pedicle, naked. Get men three-lobed, each lobe emarginate ; style wanting (?), ovule 
solitary in each lobe. These appearances I describe as I saw them, but the female flowers were 
probably imperfect, none enlarged, projected beyond the involucre, nor produced seed; but, after 
a while, a small number of the male flowers having been perfected, and protruded beyond their 
involucre, this became yellow, and separated at the articulation, near the base of the footstalk, the 
bractese for some time remaining, and then the whole cyme dropped at the articulation in the 
common peduncle Bot. Mag. t. 3493. 
Synonyms.; — Euphorbia pulcherrima, Willdenow's Herb. E. Poinsettiana, Buist MS. 
Fig. 1. Involucre; 2. A section of the involucre exhibiting the five cells ; 3.' Male flower showing 
its scale ; 4. A magnified abortive female flower. 
This truly beautiful and very desirable stove plant was introduced into 
Britain by Mr. James M'Nab, of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, who 
brought plants of it to that and other establishments in Scotland, in 1834, from 
Mr. Buist, of Philadelphia. In 1828 it was sent to Charleston, by Mr. Poinsette, 
who discovered it in Mexico, whence it was received by Mr. Buist, through whose 
liberality and kindness many collections in England have been favoured with this 
valuable addition. 
The character of the plant is that of an erect luxuriant shrub, five or six feet 
vol. iv. — no. xli. o 
