Poinsettia
OTHER NAME(S): Christmas Flower, Christmas Star, Easter Flower, Étoile de Noël, Fleur Pentecôte, Flor de Pascua, Lalpatta, Lalupate, Lobster Flower Plant, Lobsterplant, Mexican Flame Leaf, Noche Buena, Paintedleaf, Papagallo, Pastora, Euphorbia pulcherrima, Poinsettia pulcherrima, Euphorbia poinsettia, Mexican Flameleaf, Nochebuena
Overview
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a plant with red bracts (leaves) native to the US, Mexico, and Guatemala. It's often used as a Christmas decoration.
The whole poinsettia plant and its sap (latex) have been used to make medicine. Chemicals in the dried sap might have pain relieving effects.
People use poinsettia for fever, pain, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. Poinsettia might also be unsafe.
Uses
We currently have no information for Poinsettia overview.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if poinsettia is safe. Side effects might include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
When applied to the skin: Poinsettia is possibly unsafe. It can cause serious skin reactions, including irritation and burns.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: There isn't enough reliable information to know if poinsettia is safe. Side effects might include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
When applied to the skin: Poinsettia is possibly unsafe. It can cause serious skin reactions, including irritation and burns.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Poinsettia is possibly unsafe when taken by mouth or applied to the skin while pregnant or breast-feeding. Avoid use.
Interactions
We currently have no information for Poinsettia overview.
Dosing
There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of poinsettia might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.
References
- The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
- Ellenhorn MJ, et al. Ellenhorn's Medical Toxicology: Diagnoses and Treatment of Human Poisoning. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.
- Krenzelok EP, Jacobsen TD, Aronis JM. Poinsettia exposures have good outcomes...just as we thought. Am J Emerg Med 1996;14:671-4.
- Petersen DD. Common plant toxicology: a comparison of national and southwest Ohio data trends on plant poisonings in the 21st century. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2011;254(2):148-53.
- Evens ZN, Stellpflug SJ. Holiday plants with toxic misconceptions. West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(6):538-542.
- Singh KK, Rauniar GP, Sangraula H. Experimental study of neuropharmacological profile of Euphorbia pulcherrima in mice and rats. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2012;3(3):311-9. doi: 10.4103/0976-3147.102612.
- Aljohani ASM, Alhumaydhi FA, Rauf A, Hamad EM, Rashid U. In Vivo Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic, Sedative, Muscle Relaxant Activities and Molecular Docking Analysis of Phytochemicals from Euphorbia pulcherrima. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2022;2022:7495867.