Celosia argentea
Celosia cristata
plumed cockscomb, silver cock's comb
crested cock's-comb
erect, to 1 m, glabrous.
erect, mostly 0.3–1 m, glabrous.
petiole 1–3 cm;
blade unlobed, ovate, lanceolate, or nearly linear, 8–15 × 1–6 cm, base tapering, apex long-acuminate.
petiole 1–3 cm;
blade unlobed, variable, mostly lanceolate or ovate, 8–15 × 1–8 cm, base tapering, apex long-acuminate.
dense cylindric or ovoid spikes, units 13–20 mm diam.
variously fasciated, dense, crested or plumose.
tepals silvery white or pinkish, 3-veined, 6–8 mm, scarious, translucent;
style elongate, 4 mm, indurate and exserted at maturity;
stigmas 3.
tepals pink, red, yellow, purple, or white, faintly 3-veined at base, 5–8 mm, scarious;
style elongate, 3–4 mm;
stigmas 3.
3–8, 1.5 mm diam., smooth, shiny.
6–10, 1.5 mm diam., faintly reticulate, shiny.
4 mm.
3–4 mm.
= 72.
= 72.
Celosia argentea
Celosia cristata
Celosia argentea is locally escaped from cultivation, and perhaps originally native to India.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
In this treatment, Celosia cristata, the cultivated cockscomb, is considered a species separate from C. argentea, its likely wild progenitor; however, it is often treated as an infraspecific entity (variety or form) of the latter. The former is a tetraploid; the latter, an octoploid, although a tetraploid race of C. argentea is known in India (T. N. Khoshoo and M. Pal 1973). Convincing evidence has been presented for recognizing this cytologically and morphologically distinct race as a separate species (W. F. Grant 1961, 1962). Celosia cristata is known only in cultivation or as an escape from cultivation.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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