Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Euphorbia pulcherrima

Euphorbia pulcherrima

9.0
A tropical American shrub with poisonous milky sap and bright red leaf-like parts around small yellow flowers
  • noun
  • /juˈfɔrbiə pʌlˈkɛrɪmə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Euphorbia pulcherrima
  • Every December, many people decorate their homes with the bright red Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Examples

  • The sap of Euphorbia pulcherrima can cause skin irritation if not handled carefully.

  • Euphorbia pulcherrima is widely grown as an ornamental plant for its colorful bracts.

  • The Euphorbia pulcherrima is a popular plant during Christmas.

  • I bought a Euphorbia pulcherrima for my living room.

  • Euphorbia pulcherrima is often used to brighten up homes during the holiday season.

  • The bright red bracts of the Euphorbia pulcherrima attract many visitors to the garden center.

  • You should be careful when pruning Euphorbia pulcherrima because its sap can irritate the skin.

Synonyms

poinsettia
vsEuphorbia pulcherrima
3 7.0

A tropical plant with bright red leaves that people put on tables at Christmas

is the botanical shrub description that adds poisonous milky sap and scientific detail
Mexican flameleaf
vsEuphorbia pulcherrima
  • US
9.9

A tropical American plant with poisonous sap and bright red leaf-like bracts surrounding small yellow flowers

is the formal shrub description rather than a common name
lobster plant
vsEuphorbia pulcherrima
  • US
9.9

A tropical plant from the Americas with poisonous white sap and bright red parts around small yellow flowers

is the general petal-like bract description without the tapering detail
painted leaf
vsEuphorbia pulcherrima
8.3

A tropical plant with bright red leaves and poisonous milky sap

is the fuller shrub description including petal-like bracts and small flowers
Christmas star
vsEuphorbia pulcherrima
  • US
3.3

A plant with bright red leaves often used as a Christmas decoration

is the botanical shrub description noting poisonous sap rather than festive use
Christmas flower
vsEuphorbia pulcherrima
3.5

A plant with red leaves like a poinsettia that people use to decorate at Christmas

is the botanical shrub description highlighting poisonous sap and botanical features

Surface Forms

Euphorbia pulcherrima singular
Euphorbia pulcherrimas plural

Morphology

Euphorbia + pulcherrima

This is a Latin binomial (scientific name) whose parts are not productive English vocabulary for a B1 learner: 'pulcherrima' is not an English word (not found in the dictionary) and 'Euphorbia' is a genus name rather than a transparent lexical item. Scientific names are lexicalized labels and their referential meaning (the poinsettia, a specific plant) cannot be derived from the constituent forms, so the term is not predictable from its parts.

Etymology

Euphorbia pulcherrima comes from the group name Euphorbia and the Latin word pulcherrima, which means 'most beautiful' because of the bright red leaf-like parts around its small yellow flowers. It became known in English as the poinsettia after Joel Poinsett, the American who brought the plant from Mexico to the United States, so the name links its beauty and the person who made it popular.