What are the characteristics of cockscomb? A complete guide for you

Cockscomb, also known as laolaihong or xiaotou cockscomb, gets its name because its flowers resemble a rooster's comb. It has high ornamental and medicinal value, so what are the characteristics of cockscomb?

1. What are the characteristics of cockscomb?

Cockscomb is an annual erect herbaceous plant in the Caryophyllales order, Amaranthaceae family, Celosia genus, with a plant height of 30-80cm. The whole plant is hairless, the stem is relatively thick, and the leaves grow alternately, taking a long ovate shape. The flowers resemble a rooster's comb and come in white, purple, yellow, yellow-red and other colors, among which purple is relatively common. The seeds it produces are black and kidney-shaped, with a glossy sheen.

2. What varieties of cockscomb are there?

1. Common cockscomb

About 40—60 cm tall, rarely branched, with flat, wrinkled flowers that closely resemble a rooster's comb. The flower colors include purplish red, deep red, pink, pale yellow or creamy white, either solid or mixed colors.

Cultivated varieties generally come in two types. Tall cockscomb, with a plant height of 80—120 cm, and flowers mostly purplish red; dwarf cockscomb, with a plant height of 15—30 cm, and flowers mostly purplish red or dark red.

2. Child-and-mother cockscomb

Plant height 30—50 cm, much branched and slanting outward, the whole plant forming a broad conical shape, compact and neat. The terminal inflorescence on the main stem is large, wrinkled and inverted-conical in shape; many small inflorescences grow beside the base of the main inflorescence, and the tips of the side branches are similar, with orange-red flower color and dark green leaves with an earthy red tinge.

3. Round velvet cockscomb

Plant height 40—60 cm. The flowers are especially compact, densely covered with fine hairs on top.

4. Feather cockscomb

Also known as reed-flower cockscomb or broom cockscomb, with a plant height of 30-150 cm.

The stem is erect, and the leaves are ovate-lanceolate. The inflorescence is a spike formed by many small inflorescences clustered together. Leaves are simple, alternate or opposite, without stipules. Flowers are bisexual, rarely unisexual, in axillary cymes or arranged in panicles; bracts are small and dry-membranous, tepals 3-5, often dry-membranous, and stamens are usually equal in number to and opposite the tepals.