Two Christmas Flowers are very popular at this time of the year, and this is a little information on each of them:
The Poinsettia - (Euphorbia
pulcherrima) is a culturally and commercially important plant species
of the diverse family that is indigenous to Mexico and Central America. It is
particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in
Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts
Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant
into the United States in 1825. There now at least 6 varieties, including the
white, jingle bell and marble poinsettia, besides the ever popular red one.
The Christmas Cactus - (Schlumbergera) is a small genus of cacti with six species
found in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil. Plants grow on trees or
rocks in habitats which are generally shady with high humidity and can be quite
different in appearance from their desert-dwelling cousins. Most species of
Schlumbergera have stems which resemble leaf-like pads joined one to the other
and flowers which appear from areoles at the joints and tips of the stems. In
Brazil, the genus is referred to as Flor de Maio (May flower), reflecting the
period in which they flower in the Southern Hemisphere. This genus contains the
popular house plants known by a variety of names including Christmas Cactus,
Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus and Holiday Cactus. In Europe, these plants
are largely produced for sale in the period before Christmas, and are
called: Weihnachtskaktus in German, Cactus de Noël in French, and Cacto
de Navidad in Spanish.
No comments:
Post a Comment