鸡冠花 ji guan hua

Celosia argentea Linnaeus f. cristata (Linnaeus) Schinz; C. argentea var. cristata (Linnaeus) Kuntze.

Herbs annual. Stem erect. Leaves ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, 2-6 cm wide. Spikes often cristate, convolute, or feathery; some small branches pyramidal-oblong. Bracts lanceolate, with midvein, apex acuminate. Tepals red, purple, yellow, or orange. Utricles ovoid, enveloped in persistent perianth. Seeds compressed-reniform. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 35*, 36*, 54*.

Widely cultivated. as an ornamental in China [cosmopolitan].

This taxon is usually regarded as a cultivated form of Celosia argentea. There are many ornamental cultivars in China.