''Celosia'' ( ) is a small genus of edible and
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
s in the
amaranth
''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Catkin-like cymes of densely pack ...
family,
Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it ...
. The generic name is derived from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
word (), meaning "burning", and refers to the flame-like
flower heads
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
. Species are commonly known as woolflowers, or, if the flower heads are crested by
fasciation
Fasciation (pronounced , from the Latin root meaning "band" or "stripe"), also known as cresting, is a relatively rare condition of abnormal growth in vascular plants in which the apical meristem (growing tip), which normally is concentrated aro ...
, cockscombs. The plants are well known in East Africa's highlands and are used under their Swahili name, mfungu.
Uses
As a garden plant
The plant is an
annual
Annual may refer to:
* Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
**Yearbook
** Literary annual
* Annual plant
* Annual report
* Annual giving
* Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
* Annuals (b ...
. Seed production in these species can be very high, 200–700 kg per hectare. One ounce of seed may contain up to 43,000 seeds. One thousand seeds can weigh 1.0–1.2 grams. Depending upon the location and fertility of the soil, blossoms can last 8–10 weeks.
''
C. argentea'' and ''
C. cristata'' are common garden ornamental plants.
As food
''
Celosia argentea
''Celosia argentea'', commonly known as the plumed cockscomb or silver cock's comb, is a herbaceous plant of tropical origin in the Amaranthaceae family from India and Nepal. The plant is known for its very bright colors. In India and China it is ...
'' var. ''argentea'' or Lagos spinach (a.k.a. quail grass, soko, celosia, feather cockscomb) is a broadleaf annual
leaf vegetable
Leaf vegetables, also called leafy greens, pot herbs, vegetable greens, or simply greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. Leaf vegetables eaten raw in a salad can be called salad gre ...
. It grows widespread across Mexico, where it is known as ''"velvet flower"'', northern South America, tropical Africa, the West Indies, South, East and Southeast Asia where it is grown as a native or naturalized wildflower, and is cultivated as a nutritious leafy green vegetable. It is traditional fare in the countries of Central and West Africa, and is one of the leading leafy green vegetables in Nigeria, where it is known as ‘soko yokoto’, meaning ''"make husbands fat and happy"''. In Spain it is known as ''"Rooster comb"'' because of its appearance.
As a grain, ''Celosia'' is a
pseudo-cereal, not a true
cereal
A cereal is any Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...
.
These leaves, young stems and young inflorescences are used for stew, as they soften up readily in cooking. The leaves also have a soft texture and a mild spinach-like taste.
Cultivation
![Silver Cockscomb (Celosia argentea) in Tirunelveli](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Silver_Cockscomb_%28Celosia_argentea%29_in_Tirunelveli.jpg)
Despite its African origin (a claim that is not without dispute), ''Celosia'' is known as a foodstuff in Indonesia and India. Moreover, in the future it might become more widely eaten, especially in the hot and malnourished regions of the equatorial zone. In that regard, it has already been hailed as the often-wished-for vegetable that "grows like a weed without demanding all the tender loving care that other vegetables seem to need" says Martin Price of Florida. He continues "Every place I have tried it, it grows with no work. We have had no disease problems and very little insect damage. It reseeds itself abundantly and new plants have come up in the immediate vicinity."
See further information at Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables
/ref>
Works well in humid areas and is the most-used leafy plant in Nigeria. It grows in the wet season and grows well while other plants succumb to mold and other diseases like mildew. Though a very simple plant, ''Celosia'' does need moderate soil moisture.
Selected species
*''Celosia argentea
''Celosia argentea'', commonly known as the plumed cockscomb or silver cock's comb, is a herbaceous plant of tropical origin in the Amaranthaceae family from India and Nepal. The plant is known for its very bright colors. In India and China it is ...
'' L.
*''Celosia cristata
''Celosia argentea'' var. ''cristata'' (formerly ''Celosia cristata''), known as cockscomb, is the cristate or crested variety of the species ''Celosia argentea''. It was likely originally native to India, where it was saved from extinction in ...
'' L.
*'' Celosia floribunda'' A. Gray
*'' Celosia isertii'' C.C.Towns.
*'' Celosia leptostachya'' Benth.
*'' Celosia nitida'' Vahl
*''Celosia odorata
''Celosia'' ( ) is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "burning", and refers to the flame-like flower heads. Species are commonl ...
'' T.Cooke
*''Celosia palmeri
''Celosia palmeri'', commonly known as Palmer's cockscomb, is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae, that is native to the lower Rio Grande Valley (Texas), Rio Grande Valley of Texas in the United States as well as no ...
'' S.Watson
*''Celosia spicata
''Celosia'' ( ) is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "burning", and refers to the flame-like flower heads. Species are commonl ...
'' L.
*'' Celosia trigyna'' L.
*''Celosia virgata
''Celosia virgata'', or ''albahaca'', is found in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands but not in the continental United States. It is a perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' ...
'' Jacq.
*''Celosia whitei
''Celosia whitei'', is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the for ...
'' W.F.Grant
Formerly placed here
*''Chamissoa altissima
''Chamissoa altissima'', or false chaff flower, is native to North and South America. In Brazil it grows in the Cerrado vegetation. '' (Jacq.) Kunth (as ''C. tomentosa'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.)
*''Deeringia amaranthoides
''Deeringia amaranthoides'' is a species of plant in the Amaranthaceae family and is distributed from the western Himalayas east across southern China, down through south east Asia and Indonesia, across New Guinea to parts of Australia.
It was ...
'' (Lam.) Merr. (as ''C. baccata'' Retz.)
*''Deeringia polysperma
''Deeringia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goose ...
'' (Roxb.) Moq. (as ''C. polysperma'' Roxb.)
*''Iresine diffusa
''Iresine diffusa'', or Juba's bush, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae
Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former ...
'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. (as ''C. paniculata'' L.)
Images
Image:CelosiaCristataYellowToreador.jpg, ''Celosia cristata.'' Common name yellow toreador.
Image:CelosiaCristata.jpg, Red cockscomb
Image:Red Cockscomb flowers.JPG, A close view of red cockscombs
File:Celosia flower.jpg, ''Celosia'' flower
File:Celosia argentea (Silver cockscomb) W IMG_0985.jpg, Silver cockscomb ''Celosia argentea
''Celosia argentea'', commonly known as the plumed cockscomb or silver cock's comb, is a herbaceous plant of tropical origin in the Amaranthaceae family from India and Nepal. The plant is known for its very bright colors. In India and China it is ...
''
File:Celosia.JPG, ''Celosia cristata
''Celosia argentea'' var. ''cristata'' (formerly ''Celosia cristata''), known as cockscomb, is the cristate or crested variety of the species ''Celosia argentea''. It was likely originally native to India, where it was saved from extinction in ...
''
File:Tulip and Celosia cockscomb.jpg
File:Plumed cockscomb (Celosia argentea).JPG, Plumed cockscomb flower and an insect
File:Celosia cristata Linn.jpg, Celosia cristata (Cockscomb)
References
Uses and Growth of Celosia spp.
Virtual Flowers Celosia Information
{{Taxonbar, from=Q159223
Amaranthaceae genera
Leaf vegetables
Pseudocereals