Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch, Euphorbiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk, score: -7 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Christmas flower, Christmas star, lobsterplant, Mexican flameleaf, painted leaf, poinsettia, yellow poinsettia

Maori (Cook Islands): tiare ‘āpa mata‘iti, tiare ‘āpa-mata‘iti

Palauan: becheselrak

Tongan: lave‘imoa

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "The species is a tall, rangy shrub that grows to a height of 10 ft (3.1 m). It has large, dark green, oval leaves that are "toothed" on the sides and pointed at the tips. They emerge from smooth, green erect stems. Flowers (or cyathia) are borne at the stem tips in winter. The actual flowers are quite small (they are the yellow structures at the center of the brilliantly colored "bracts"). The bracts are actually modified leaves-in the species there usually are 8 to 10 bracts that are 4-7 in (10.2-17.8 cm) long. The showy colored part of poinsettias that most people think are the flowers are actually these colored bracts (modified leaves). Many plants in this family ooze a milky sap. (Scheper, J., 1998, and Christman, S., 1999.)" (National Tropical Botanical Garden)

"Shrub to 3 m high (10 ft) with milky sap.  Leaves simple, alternate, blade elliptic, ovate, or oblanceolate, 6-25 cm long (2 1/2 - 10 in), often with one or two lobes on the margins.  Flowers seasonally in winger; flowers borne in clusters of cup-shaped cyathia forming opposite an upper leaf, above the leaf-like bracts that are red or occasionally yellow, white, or pink, and in some forms double-flowered.  Corolla absent, but the involucre bears a conspicuous yellow gland.  Fruit a subglobose, deeply three-lobed schizocarp 1.3-2 cm long (1/2 - 3/4 in)."  (Whistler, 2000; pp. 205-206).

Habitat/ecology:  "Fertile soils in sunny places are preferred" (Whistler, 2000; p. 206).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Tropical areas of Central America and Mexico" (National Tropical Botanical Garden)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cook Islands Northern Cook Islands	Manihiki Atoll	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2007)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (1998) (p. 19)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 138)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (pp. 559-570) Vouchers cited: DA 12146, DA 16945, DA 12080
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Bora Bora Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Tubuai (Austral) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Tubuai (Austral) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
French Polynesia Tubuai (Austral) Islands	Tubuai (Tupuai) Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (pp. 375-376) Common in gardens.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 138)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 138)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 138)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 100) Not seen on this survey and may no longer be present.
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 93) Rare, possibly extirpated.
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 131)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 52) Vouchers cited: Baumann 13338, MacKee 23719, MacKee 43343
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 90) Rarely cultivated. Voucher cited: CHR 169729
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced cultivated	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 76) Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9801 (BISH), Yuncker 10187 (BISH)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 138)
Pitcairn Islands Pitcairn Islands	Pitcairn Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 65-66)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 73)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands	introduced cultivated	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 169) "Cultivated throughout Tonga".
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Johnston Atoll	Johnston Island	introduced cultivated	Amerson, A. Binion, Jr./Shelton, Philip C. (1976) (p. 57)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R. (1959) (p. 15)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. (1969) (p. 10) Not seen in 1961, 1963.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 114)

Additional information:  Additional online information about Euphorbia pulcherrima is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Euphorbia pulcherrima may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Amerson, A. Binion, Jr./Shelton, Philip C. 1976. The natural history of Johnston Atoll. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 192. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 479 pp.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Florence, J. 1997. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 1. Paris. Editions de l'Orstom, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 34. 393 pp.

Fosberg, F. R. 1959. Vegetation and flora of Wake Island. Atoll Research Bulletin 67. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 20 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Otobed, D./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L./Powell, D. A./Canfield, J. E. 1980. Vascular plants of Palau with vernacular names. Department of Botany, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 43 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, M.-H. 1969. Wake Island vegetation and flora, 1961-1963. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 123. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 15 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 1998. Checklist of the plants of Pohnpei. Unpublished checklist. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 21 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2007. Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage. On-line database.

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. 1994. The flora of Nauru. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 392:1-223.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Vander Velde, Nancy. 2003. The vascular plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Atoll Research Bulletin No. 503:1-141.

Whistler, W. A. 1990. Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands: The plants, their Maori names, and their uses. Allertonia 5(4):347-424.

Whistler, W. A. 2000. Tropical ornamentals: a guide. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 542 pp.

Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. 1999. Botanical survey of the United States of America Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Islands. Prepared for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the U. S. Army Environmental Center. 111 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.