Poinsettia found in the center of each leaf bunch, and are called cyathia. The poinsettia is native to Mexico. 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. Reports of "E. pulcherrima" growing in the wild in Nicaragua and Costa Rica have yet to be confirmed by botanists. The Aztecs used the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication. In Nahuatl, the
Poinsettia also mildly irritating to the skin or stomach and may sometimes cause diarrhea and vomiting if eaten. Sap introduced into the human eye may cause temporary blindness. An "American Journal of Emergency Medicine" study of 22,793 cases reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers showed no fatalities, and furthermore that a strong majority of poinsettia exposures are accidental, involve children, and usually do not result in any type of medical treatment. POISINDEX, a major source for poison control centers, says a child would have to eat 500 bracts (poinsettia leaves) to accumulate levels of toxins found to be