Celosia trigyna
L.
Silver spinach
(c) i_c_riddell, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by i_c_riddell
(c) Bart Wursten, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bart Wursten
(c) Duncan McKenzie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Duncan McKenzie
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Flowers, Seeds, Vegetable
During drought, woolflower has been used as a source of food. The leaves are boiled like cabbage, and is known as torchata. It is also eaten as a vegetable in Africa.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Africa. It grows in lowlands and highlands. It is often along the coast but grows from sea level to 1,960 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It needs a rainfall or up to 2,500 mm and an average temperature of 25-30°C. It cannot tolerate a temperature below 15°C. It is best on fertile, well drained soils.
Africa, Angola, Arabia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Comoros, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, USA, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Zululand,
How to Identify
A herb. It is branched and straggling. It grows 25-120 cm tall. The leaves are alternate. The lower leaves have long leaf stalks. The leaves are oval and about 8 cm long. The plant looks like Amaranthus hybridus until it starts to flower. Where the leaf stalk joins the stem there is a pair of small moon-shaped leaflets that lie around the stem. The small flowers are crowded together in separate clusters. They are 5-10 cm long. They are white or silvery. The fruit is a capsule which is almost round and has several seeds.
Nutrition Score: 45/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaves | 89 | 139 | 33 | 2.7 | 1925 | 10 | 5 | — |
| Flowers | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Seeds | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How to Grow
Plants are grown by seeds. Seeds germinate in 4-5 days. It grows for 90-120 days. Because the seeds are small they are best mixed with sand to give a more even distribution.
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ. The seed germinates freely 4 - 5 days after sowing.
Medicinal Uses
The plant is used in traditional medicine. Research has shown anthelmintic properties in humans and methanol extracts of the whole plant have shown acaricidal properties. The plant is used in Africa to treat pustular skin eruptions, heart complaints and tapeworm. The pulped leaves are used to treat costal pains, chest troubles, stomach-ache and urethral disorders. The leaves and flowers are used to treat diarrhoea. The plant is included in several medicinal preparations used to treat women’s disorders and diseases, including ovarian troubles and excessive menstruation.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Celosia trigyna is a plant species commonly known as woolflower for its curious flowers.
Production
Plants can be uprooted and harvested or leaves removed. Harvests of 4-5 t/ha can be achieved from weekly harvests over 2 months. Plants can be dried in the sun and and stored for 6 months. In humid areas leaves are available throughout the year.
Other Information
It is popular in Nigeria. It is usually eaten at home and not sold in markets. In some places it is sold in local markets. It is cultivated.
Notes
There are about 40-50 Celosia species.
Names & Synonyms
Adjeanwofoo, Agnogn, Ajefowo, Akelio, Ananakondro, Bel bella, Bongi, Bore-bore, Boroboro, Bwache, Chala cha nkhwale, Chinkanya, Dagada, Djehoundje, Djendje, Ekeliiton, Gbonkefru, Iphouphou, Iphowuphowu, Kalyababungu, Kaphikaulesi, Karyababunga, Kisandi, Lifweni likomi, Lihuluka, Mchicha pori, Mfungu, Mongyedi, Mundawarara, Nafanafa, Ndewele, Ngengutu, Nyasungwi, Piwejeya, Salimba, Sangan'akoholahy, Saza, Tchobodoue, Torchata, Torketa, Tsalambi, Umpema, Welbete, Woolflower, Zaza
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