Euphorbia interspecific hybrid plant

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A new plant was created as an interspecific hybrid of the genus Euphorbia. The plant was created by the rescue of an embryo resulting from the cross-pollination of a cultivated Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, with a seedling of the uncultivated Euphorbia cornastra. The new interspecific hybrid plant was found have unique traits that differed from either parent. The plant exhibited colorful flower bracts indicating desirable characteristics for ornamental use. In addition to providing the interspecific hybrid plant and parts thereof, the invention provides methods for making the same as well methods for creating interspecific hybrid plants having altered growth characteristics and the plants created thereby. Other References Dehgan 1984, Phylogenetic significance of interspecific hybridization in Jatropha (Euphorbiacease). Systematic Botany 9(4):467-478.*Dehgan, Phylogenetic significance of interspecific hybridization in Jatropha (Euphorbiaceae), Sytematic Bot., 9(4):467-478, 1984. Dole et al., "Investigations on the nature of a graft-transmissible agent in poinsetta", Can. J. Bot., 71:1097-1101, 1993. Dolezel et al., "Embryo development and in vitro culture of Allium cepa_and its interspecific hybrids," Z Pflanzenzucht, 85:177-184, 1980. Dressler, "A new and attractive poinsettia, Euphorbiaceae, from Guerrero, Mexico," Bol. Soc. Bot. Mexico, 35:17, 1975. Summary only. Keller et al., "Interspecific crosses of onion with distant Allium species and characterization of the presumed hybrids by means of flow cytometry, karyotype analysis and genomic in situ hybridization," Theor. Appl. Genet., 92:417-424, 1996. Krauter et al., "Efficent interspecific hybridization in the genus Helianthus via `embryo rescue` and characterization of the hybrids," Theor. Appl. Genet., 82:521-525, 1991. Le Duc and Albrecht, "Dogwood Poinsettia Euphoriba cornastra (Dressler) A. Radcliffe-Smith, A New Floral Pot Crop," HorstScience, 31:472, 1996. Lee et al., "Phytoplasma induced free-branching in commercial poinsettia cultivars," Nat Biotechnol, 15(2):178-182, 1997. Sorenson and Brewbaker, "Interspecific compatibility among 15 Leucaena species (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) via artificial hybridizations," Amer. J. Bot, 81(2):240-247, 1994.
Suszwik, "The secret of free branching poinsettias," Beltsville Area Research Highlights: 1998 Reprints from Agricultural Research, p. 56, 1998.