Thanks Mam for detailed info On Mon, Dec 26, 2011 at 12:35 PM, Ushadi micromini < [email protected]> wrote:
> Balkarji : > > Not officially called the x'mas plant, but yes it does bloom at x'mas > time as the day gets shorter and nites longer and darker... and we buy > them to decorate homes, hallways , offices, churches etc this time of > the year... > > The colloqiual name is POINSETTIA... > > Difficult to get them to bloom a second time around, I discovered that > the trick is to cover them at nite if living in a city with high > ambient light from streets etc... to get them to bloom... and in nov > with chill in the air... it begins to develop the bracts... > > Native of central americas including Mexico, it got adapted for the > red colored bracts by a nursery man in california who almost > singlehandedly made it popular in this century with new fangled > techniques of mass horticulture then prevalent in the 1920s...and his > family had a monopoly on its production where millions of pots would > all bloom just in time for xmas gift giving and decorating... > originally he planted in california fields which later got sold and > developed in to what is now known as HOLLYWOOD... > > but do you know the source of his plants from which he started the > nursery business of this red plants? > > They were growing neglected on the roadsides in california, from > earlier stocks introduced in USA by the ambassador Poinsett when he > was posted in Mexico in 1800s and brought to plant in his own fields > and give gifts to family and associates.. ( he was a fascinating > persona .. he founded what would later come to be known as Smithsonian > institution), so we commemorate him on December 10th or 12th by naming > it Poisettia day...that's when the nursery trade used to start selling > the red bracts plants... > now we have several shades of red, white, pink, blue (?even, can you > imagine it?) and some people sell sprayed them with > sparkles...phew!!!! and no specific dates, we can even get them in > summer if we looked hard enough.... > > The latex of this euphorbia is toxic, causes dermatitis in the nursery > trade and others unwise to cut the plants and get the latex on skin > repeatedly without gloves on... > > the flower/leaf extract is mildly antibacterial... my Filipino > friends tell me villagers use it as a cathartic and for skin > eruptions!!! go figure... > > > Usha di > ============== > > PS obviously planted in the Bot garden, are they studying it for its > medicinal properties???? > > ================= > > > > On Dec 26, 10:53 am, Balkar Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > Thanks Swamy Ji i was not aware of this common name > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Dec 26, 2011 at 11:11 AM, Mahadeswara <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Common name christmas plant. > > > > > On Dec 26, 7:23 am, Balkar Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Dear All > > > > Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch from CCSHAU Campus Hisar > > > > family Euphorbiaceae > > > > Thanks > > > > > > -- > > > > Regards > > > > > > Dr Balkar Singh > > > > Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology > > > > Arya P G College, Panipat > > > > Haryana-132103 > > > > 09416262964 > > > > > > Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch (1).JPG > > > > 147KViewDownload > > > > > > Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch (2).JPG > > > > 142KViewDownload > > > > > > Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch (3).JPG > > > > 143KViewDownload > > > > -- > > Regards > > > > Dr Balkar Singh > > Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology > > Arya P G College, Panipat > > Haryana-132103 > > 09416262964 > -- Regards Dr Balkar Singh Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology Arya P G College, Panipat Haryana-132103 09416262964
