Wild poinsettia, Mexican fire plant(Syn. Euphorbia heterophylla var. cyathophora, Poinsettia cyathophora)Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)Native to USA (California to Florida, north to Virginia and the mid-west to Minnesota); eastern Mexico; the Caribbean (the West Indies); Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama), and South America (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Chile)Naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands and first collected in 1917 on Oahu.Often growing in gardens as a weed in Hawaii, this photograph shows wild poinsettia growing along with other weedy Euphorbia spp. on the island of Oahu.Interestingly, the flowers and fruits are actually the tiny yellow parts in the center of the plant, and not the bright red bract-like leaves. The red "false" floral parts create the "flower" attraction for pollinators.Closeup
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