Celosia silver-crested

Family Amaranthaceae. Native range - India.

Perennial plant, grown as an annual. Stems erect, often fused (fasciated), fleshy, 35-50 cm tall. Leaves ovate, pointed, green, variegated or dark purple. Flowers small with yellow, orange, pink and mainly purple-red perianth, gathered into a massive inflorescence with more or less large, deep undulations along the upper edge, resembling a rooster's comb. Blooms from early July until the first frosts. It sets seeds abundantly, but they do not fully ripen. In cultivation since the mid-16th century.

Most well-known cultivars: 'Импресс' - with red inflorescences and purple leaves; 'Империалис' - inflorescences purple-red, leaves dark red; 'Кокцинеа' - inflorescences red, leaves green.