Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: Celosia

What wonderful, strange flowers these are! Celosia comes in several odd appearances, and this one is named for its similarity to the fleshy growth on top of a rooster's head! As odd as these flowers may seem, it will really surprise you to learn that these flowers and especially its leaves are edible and are very popular in many African and asian countries. This is an excerpt from Wiki: "Celosia is a broadleaf annual leaf vegetable. It grows widespread across Mexico, where it is known as "Velvet flower", northern South America, tropical Africa, the West Indies, South, East and Southeast Asia where it is grown as a native or naturalized wildflower, and is cultivated as a nutritious leafy green vegetable. It is traditional fare in the countries of Central and West Africa, and is one of the leading leafy green vegetables in Nigeria, where it is known as ‘soko yokoto’, meaning "make husbands fat and happy". In Spain it is known as "Rooster comb" because of its appearance. As a grain, Cockscomb is a pseudo-cereal, not a true cereal. These leaves, young stems and young inflorescences are used for stew, as they soften up readily in cooking. The leaves also have a soft texture and a mild spinach-like taste. They are also pepped up with such things as hot pepper, garlic, fresh lime, and red palm oil and eaten as a side dish."

I call this beautiful and unusual blossom a Clam Flower because of the wavy similarity to the mouth of a clam. They come in a rainbow of outrageous neon colors and are soft and velvety to the touch! I LOVE THEM!!!! :D From Wikipedia: Celosia is a small genus of edible, ornamental and medicinal plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word κηλος (kelos), meaning "burned," and refers to the flame-like flower heads. Species are commonly known as woolflowers, or, if the flower heads are crested by fasciation, cockscombs. The plants are well known in East Africa’s highlands and are used under their Swahili name, mfungu.