On National Poinsettia Day we"re taking an up-close look at a poinsettia leaf. Although many people assume the red, white, pink, purple, or marbled colors are flowers, they"re actually bracts, a type of leaf that aids in reproduction, usually by turning color as the plant develops true flowers. On the poinsettia, the bracts, surrounding small yellow clustered buds called cyathia, flag down pollinators just as flower petals do.
What are we looking at?
Today in History
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A long path to freedom
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A willowy welcome to spring
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Gazing down on planet Earth
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Sundance Film Festival opens in Park City
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Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
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Wooden path to Kennedy Lake, Vancouver Island, Canada
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Aerial view of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico
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Jerte Valley in bloom
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Groundhog Day
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No, it s not a leaf. Happy Look-alike Day
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Rosa Parks Day
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Reflecting on fall
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Bird’s-eye view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
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1953 Mount Everest Expedition
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Western Monarch Day
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River otters at Acadia National Park, Maine
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Pacific Rim Whale Festival
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World Population Day
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Inside the Oculus
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The desert blooms
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Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
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Arches National Park, Utah
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International Day of Peace
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Churún Merú waterfall in Venezuela
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A day to celebrate the sun
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International Dark Sky Week
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A prison fit for a count
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Endangered Species Day
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Milford Sound/Piopiotahi rainforest in New Zealand
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Behold the blood moon
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