A closeup of a poinsettia flower cluster from the side. Many people confuse the bracts (red and white leaves on this "Ice Punch" poinsettia) with the petals of flowers; they're quite different. This macro shot shows a number of bracts (colored leaves associated with a flower) surrounding the flowers (green, red, and yellow structures) and extending out of the frame. The flowers themselves are called cyanthia; the green tissue surrounding each flower is an involucre, a cluster of...
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A closeup of a poinsettia flower cluster from the side. Many people confuse the bracts (red and white leaves on this "Ice Punch" poinsettia) with the petals of flowers; they're quite different. This macro shot shows a number of bracts (colored leaves associated with a flower) surrounding the flowers (green, red, and yellow structures) and extending out of the frame. The flowers themselves are called cyanthia; the green tissue surrounding each flower is an involucre, a cluster of bracts (leaves) fused into a cup-shaped structure that contains multiple male flowers and one female flower within it. Emerging from the involucre you can see red filaments supporting yellow anthers on the male flowers; a single female flower should be emerging from the center of each flower. The bright yellow structures attached to the involucre are nectar glands filled with yummy sweet nectar to attract pollinators; on less-developed flowers they look like little light-green lips.
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