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Celosia
Celosia argentea
Amaranthaceae
Common Names
Celosia, Lagos spinach, quail grass, plumed cockscomb, silver cock's comb (En);
célosie, célosie argentée, crête de coq (Fr); borlón, cresta de gallo (Sp); 青葙 (Cn)
Plant Distribution
Worldwide
Botanical Features
Annual herb up to 1.5 m tall; stem ridged, hairless, branched; leaves alternate, simple,
linear to lanceolate-oblong, 15-20 x 6-9 cm; inflorescence dense, droopily spiked, to
20 cm long; flowers narrowly elliptical-oblong, 6-10 mm long, bisexual, silvery to
pink; fruit egg-shaped to globular, 3-4 mm long, few-seeded; seeds shiny black, 1-1.5
mm long.
Seedlings for transplanting
88
Environmental Factors
Light requirement: full sun, partial sun; photoperiod: day-neutral; temperature
requirement: hot; preferred soil type: sandy loam; optimum soil pH: 6.0-6.5;
tolerance: heat, cold, drought, salinity; sensitivity: flooding.
Flower
89
Production Methods
System: gathering wild, home gardening; planting material: seeds, cuttings; planting
method: direct, transplanting of seedlings at 10-15 cm in height on raised bed;
irrigation: frequent; priority fertilizer: nitrogen, organic matter; crop management:
free standing; planting to 1 st harvest: 30-50 days; harvesting: once-over (uproot),
repeated 2-3 times at 1-2 week intervals; yield: 50 t/ha.
Production of green-leaf type
Production of purple-leaf type
90
Edible Parts
Leaves, tender stems, and young flower spikes are eaten boiled, or cooked in sauce or
stew with other ingredients. Other uses: as ornamental plants, windbreaks, soap, etc.
Health Values
Beta-carotene: extremely high in leaves; vitamin E: medium; folic acid: high;
ascorbic acid: medium; calcium: medium; iron: medium; protein: 4.7%. Leaves
contain also amaranthine (betacyanin), oxalic acid (ca. 0.2%) and phytic acid (ca.
0.12%).
Seeds
In flower at seed production site
91