Toxicological Trivia from August 13, 2014: The poinsettia  (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a culturally and commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family that is indigenous to Mexico and Central America. In trivia # 138, we mentioned that the  poinsettia has low toxicity.. The petals of the "poinsettia" are greenish white or yellowish white, red, pink. a) True; b) False. 

Answer: False.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. 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.Read more in WP