Commonly known as the plumed cockscomb or silver cock's comb, Celosia is a tender / herbaceous annual that is grown in gardens throughout the tropical world. It blooms in mid-spring to summer. The plant is propagated by seed, which are extremely small, up to 43,000 seeds per ounce!
Celosia is considered to be one of the most attractive of all vegetable crops. Few of its millions of admirers know that it is a common item of human diets in West Africa and Southeast Asia. The fresh young leaves, stems, and flower spikes of Celosia argentea var. argentea or "Lagos spinach" are one of the main boiled greens in West Africa, where it is known as soko yòkòtò (Yoruba) or farar áláyyafó (Hausa).
Productive, drought tolerant and easy to grow, the plant could become a much greater contributor to malnutrition and general human welfare equatorial regions of the world.
Leaves are high in Vitamin A, C, and Calcium. The calcium, however, is not available because its tied up in oxalic acid.
