这个季节，几乎所有超市的花市都有圣诞花卖。
圣诞花的花很小，它主要是一种观叶植物，因为叶子色彩鲜艳、明快，正好符合圣诞的喜庆气氛，就被人们称之为圣诞花，在这个季节装点家居，或者作为圣诞礼物，颇受观叶植物爱好者的欢迎。
有很多人喜欢像圣诞花这样的观叶植物，被叶子的颜色所吸引。很奇怪，圣诞花就激不起我的喜欢欲，我也不知道为什么。来这里很多年了，从来就没有买过圣诞花，就像小时候，一看到鸡冠花，就觉比草还要难看。
其实圣诞花也有不同品种的，中间的叶子，有变红的，还有变成淡绿的。也是一种植物中的奇迹，叶子的颜色那么奇特，发现这种植物的人，也很伟大。
因为是观叶为主的植物，花几乎看不出来美，就少了孕蕾开花的情趣，不知为何，总是不如既能观叶，又能观花的植物令人着迷，至少是不能令我着迷吧。
这是怎么回事呢，我也想不明白。
在网上查到，这花的中文名叫一品红（学名：Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. et Kl.）：灌木。根圆柱状，极多分枝。茎直立，高1-3米，直径1-4 厘米，无毛。叶互生，卵状椭圆形、长椭圆形或披针形，绿色，边缘全缘或浅裂或波状浅裂，叶面被短柔毛或无毛，叶背被柔毛；苞叶5-7枚，狭椭圆形，长3-7厘米，宽1-2厘米，通常全缘，极少边缘浅波状分裂，朱红色。花序数个聚伞排列于枝顶；总苞坛状，淡绿色，边缘齿状5裂，裂片三角形，无毛。蒴果，三棱状圆形，平滑无毛。种子卵状，灰色或淡灰色，近平滑；无种阜。花果期10月至次年4月。
原产中美洲，广泛栽培于热带和亚热带。中国绝大部分省区市均有栽培，常见于公园、植物园及温室中，供观赏。茎叶可入药，有消肿的功效，可治跌打损伤。（概述图片参考资料来源： [1] ）
它的英文名是 poinsettia，The poinsettia (/p??n?s?ti?/ or /p??n?s?t?/)[1][2] (Euphorbia pulcherrima) (also known as Christmas Star) is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). The species is indigenous to Mexico. 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,[3] the first United States Minister to Mexico,[4] who introduced the plant to the US in 1825.（以上是圣诞花的来历）
Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 0.6–4 metres (2–13 ft). The plant bears dark green dentateleaves that measure 7–16 centimetres (2.8–6.3 in) in length. The colored bracts—which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled—are often mistaken for flower petals because of their groupings and colors, but are actually leaves.[5][6] The colors of the bracts are created through photoperiodism, meaning that they require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At the same time, the plants require abundant light during the day for the brightest color.[7]
The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and do not attract pollinators. They are grouped within small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch, and are called cyathia.[8]
The poinsettia is native to Mexico.[9] It is found in the wild in deciduous tropical forests at moderate elevations from southern Sinaloa down the entire Pacific coast of Mexico to Chiapas and Guatemala. It is also found in the interior in the hot, seasonally dry forests of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.[10] Reports of E. pulcherrima growing in the wild in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be confirmed by botanists。 （以上十圣诞花的描述）
这个季节，圣诞花满世界都是，在它给我们的生活带来喜庆与欢乐的日子里，让我们更深地了解了解这个植物吧。
