ABSTRACT
The genus Celosia L. is a member of the Amaranthaceae family and consists of approximately 60 species. They are annual or perenial herbs native to warm regions of America and Africa, 4 commonly used as a leafy vegetable and pot herb in many West African countries. As an ornamental flower, they are used as potted plants, bedding plants, or cut flowers. The common flowering annual Celosia cristata L. consists of two distinct flower forms. The crested group has fasciated convoluted inflorescences, and the plumosa group has feather-like flowers. These forms are tetraploid cultigens and range from white, and yellow, to various shades of red. 4 Both flowering forms contain a large number of hybrids and are well established in the floricultural trade. 14
