Known for their eye-catching red and green foliage, poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are a popular flowering plant, particularly during the winter holidays. The fact that poinsettia blooms are not flowers in the conventional sense, however, surprises a lot of people. Rather, they are curious-looking structures called cyathia that consist of a single female flower and many male flowers, along with yellow bulbous glands that vaguely resemble mouths.

Cyathia are unique to the Euphorbia family of plants, which includes the poinsettia, as well as many other species of succulent and cactus-like plants. Unlike traditional flowers, cyathia lack petals and sepals. Instead, they have a cup-shaped structure, called an involucre, that surrounds the reproductive parts of the flower.

In the case of poinsettias, the involucre is bright red and has several yellow glands located around the rim. These glands secrete a sweet nectar that attracts pollinators, such as bees and wasps. The male flowers, which are located on small stalks inside the involucre, produce pollen that is dispersed by the visiting insects. The female flower, located at the center of the involucre, has a long, curved style that extends upward, above the male flowers, in order to receive pollen.

Despite their unique reproductive structures, poinsettias are still able to produce viable seeds. However, because they are often grown as ornamental plants, they are typically propagated vegetatively, through stem cuttings or tissue culture.

To sum up, poinsettias are interesting plants with yellow bulbous glands that mimic lips and odd-looking reproductive structures called cyathia, which feature a single female flower and numerous male blooms. Despite not being actual flowers, poinsettias can nonetheless draw pollinators and yield healthy seeds. Therefore, the next time you see a poinsettia, observe its peculiar flower structures more closely and enjoy this rare plant’s beauty.