TAXA TUESDAY 🌿 w/ the Florida Native Plant Society Meet the Florida Poinsettia! Florida Poinsettia aka Painted Leaf, Fire-on-the-Mountain, Wild Poinsettia Euphorbia cyathophora Family: Euphorbiaceae Did you know we have a native poinsettia? This colorful native wildflower, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is closely related to the poinsettia plants commonly sold at Christmas. That species is native to Mexico. Our native Euphorbia cyathophora has a wide, scattered range across the southern United States a

TAXA TUESDAY 🌿 w/ the Florida Native Plant Society Last week, we met the native Florida Poinsettia, Euphorbia cyathophora, and today, we will learn about the unusual floral structures unique to members of the family Euphorbiaceae. At first glance, what looks like a “flower” is actually an inflorescence - a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem. The colorful “petals” are actually bracts - modified leaves that perform a similar role to petals and are positioned below a flower or cluster