CELOSIA

Celosia L., Sp. Pl. ed.1: 205. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 96. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 997; 1879; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 714. 1885; Schinz in E. & P. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 16c: 29. 1934; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 5: 416; Robertson, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 4: 407; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 4.

Annual or perennial herbs, shrubs or subshrubs. Stem erect or climbing-straggling. Leaves alternate, petiolate; leaf blade mostly ovate-deltoid to linear, margin entire or nearly so. Inflorescence spicate, terminal or axillary often fascinated (showing abnormal fusion of parts or organs, resulting in flattened, ribbon-like structure) in cultivated forms, many flowered. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, hypogynous; in axils of bracts subtended by bracteoles. Tepals 5, free, equal, erect or spreading, persistent, coloured, membranous, scarious, glabrous. Stamens 5, filaments connate into a cup at base, apical part free, linear; pseudostaminodes absent. Ovary unilocular, ovules 2-many; style 1, persistent; stigma capitate or subulate or 2- or 3-lobed. Utricles thinly-walled, ovoid or globose, dehiscence centrally circumscissile. Seeds black, lenticular.

46 species

Celosia argentea

Celosia argentea L., Sp. Pl. 1: 205. 1753; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 987; 1879; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 714.1885; Moq. in DC., Prodr. 13(2): 242. 1849; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 539. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 591. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 5:416; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 4: 408; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 5; C. argentea (L.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 541. 1891; C. cristata L., Sp. Pl. 205. 1753; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 715. 1885.

Annual herbs, 30-100 cm tall. Stem erect, green or red, glabrous, often branched. Leaves alternate, green, often tinged with red; leaf blade oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, rarely ovate-oblong, 2.5-15 cm x 1-3 cm; base attenuate, apex acute or acuminate; margin entire; lower leaves on 0.5-1.5 cm long petiole, higher sessile. Spikes narrowly cylindric or with a conic apex, 3-10 cm long. Flowers dense, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous, bracteate, bibracteolate. Bracts and bracteoles white shiny, lanceolate, 3-4 mm, with midvein, apex acuminate. Tepals 5, erect, spreading, scarious, white with a pink tip or nearly pink, then white, margins widely hyaline, oblong-lanceolate, 6-10 mm, with midvein or with 2-4 lateral nerves reaching more than halfway; apex acuminate; persistent. Stamens 5, filaments connate into a cup (2.5-3 mm) at base, free part of filaments 2.5-3 mm; pseudostaminodes absent; anthers purple. Ovary shortly stalked, unilocular, ovules few; style 1, 3-5 mm long, purple; stigmas 2-3. Utricle 3-4 mm long, obovoid, thinly-walled, dehiscence centrally circumscissile. Seeds 4-8, 1.2-1.5 mm across, compressed-reniform, black, shining.

Flowering and Fruiting: March to October
Common Names: Silver Cock'scomb, White Cockscomb, Flamingo Feathers, Wheat Celosia, Gadrya, Garke, Garkha (Hindi)