Celosia spicata - Wheat Celosia

❏ Binomial Name : Celosia spicata Spreng.
❏ Synonym : Celosia argentea var. argentea, Celosia argentea var. spicata

❏ Family : Amaranthaceae

❏ Common Name : Flamingo Feathers

❏ Tamil Name : Pannaipoo

❏ Hindi Name : Lalmurga 

❏ IUCN status: Not Evaluated

Celosia spicata Botanical Description

Annual erect herbs, simple or with many ascending branches. Leaves 2-15 x 0.1-3.2 cm, lanceolate-oblong to narrowly linear, acute to obtuse, shortly mucronate with the excurrent midrib, glabrous; lamina of the leaves from the centre of the main stem tapering below into an indistinctly demarcated, slender petiole, to 2 cm long; upper and branch leaves smaller, markedly reducing. Inflorescence a dense many-flowered spike, 2.5-20 x 1.5-2.2 cm, white to pink, terminal on the stem and branches, peduncle up to c. 20 cm long; bracts and bracteoles lanceolate or the lower deltoid, 3-5 mm, hyaline, more or less aristate with the excurrent midrib, persistent. Perianth segments 6-10 mm, narrowly elliptic-oblong, acute to rather blunt, shortly mucronate, margins hyaline. Filaments very delicate, free part subequalling or exceeding the staminal sheath, sinuses rounded with very minute intermediate teeth; anthers and filaments creamy to magenta. Ovary 4-8-ovulate, style filiform, 5-7 mm long; stigmas 2-3, very short. Capsule 3-4 mm, ovoid to globose; seeds c. 1.25-1.5 mm, lenticular, black, shining, very finely reticulate. Fl. &Fr.: November-December.

Celosia spicata Medicinal uses

❀ The flowers and seed are astringent, haemostatic, ophthalmic, parasiticide and poultice

❀ It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, bloodshot eyes, blurring of vision, cataracts and hypertension, but should not be used by people with glaucoma because it dilates the pupils

❀ The seeds are widely used in India for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

❀ The leaves are used in the treatment of infected sores, wounds and skin eruptions

❀ The roots are used in the treatment of colic, gonorrhoea and eczema

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