Cock's Comb

Cock's comb, or plumed celosia, is an annual herb of the amaranth family with silvery-pink to white flame-shaped flower spikes. It originates in tropical Africa and now grows across India, where it is both a garden ornament and a common weed in crop fields.

Known in Sanskrit as Shitivaraka, its seeds and leaves have a place in Ayurvedic and folk practice, and the leaves are cooked as greens in some regions. Traditional use includes cooling preparations for the skin and eyes. The seed and leaf are used.