it has an upright woody stem lined with large, thin, deep green leaves with irregular, pointed edges. sticky milky sap oozes from broken stems and leaf veins if damaged. the plant is most admired for its huge red petal-like bracts that surround small inconspicuous clusters of flowers. it's widely grown indoors over christmas for their brightly coloured bracts. it is often disposed of once it starts to fade, but with a little care, you can keep it all year and the bracts will colour up again the following year.