Silver spinach
Celosia trigyna

Family: Amaranthaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is branched and straggling. It grows 25-120 cm tall. The leaves are alternate. The lower leaves have long leaf stalks. The leaves are oval and about 8 cm long. The plant looks like Amaranthus hybridus until it starts to flower. Where the leaf stalk joins the stem there is a pair of small moon-shaped leaflets that lie around the stem. The small flowers are crowded together in separate clusters. They are 5-10 cm long. They are white or silvery. The fruit is a capsule which is almost round and has several seeds.

There are about 40-50 Celosia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in tropical Africa. It grows in lowlands and highlands. It is often along the coast but grows from sea level to 1,960 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It needs a rainfall or up to 2,500 mm and an average temperature of 25-30°C. It cannot tolerate a temperature below 15°C. It is best on fertile, well drained soils.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Arabia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Comoros, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, USA, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Zululand

How it is used for food

The young shoots and leaves are cooked and eaten. They are finely cut and used in soups, stews and sauces. They are also used in soups and sauces. Because they can be bitter they need extensive cooking or mixing with other foods.

It is popular in Nigeria. It is usually eaten at home and not sold in markets. In some places it is sold in local markets. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Leaves, flowers, seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown by seeds. Seeds germinate in 4-5 days. It grows for 90-120 days. Because the seeds are small they are best mixed with sand to give a more even distribution.

Plants can be uprooted and harvested or leaves removed. Harvests of 4-5 t/ha can be achieved from weekly harvests over 2 months. Plants can be dried in the sun and and stored for 6 months. In humid areas leaves are available throughout the year.

Its other names

Local names

Adjeanwofoo, Agnogn, Ajefowo, Akelio, Ananakondro, Bel bella, Bongi, Bore-bore, Boroboro, Bwache, Chala cha nkhwale, Chinkanya, Dagada, Djehoundje, Djendje, Ekeliiton, Gbonkefru, Iphouphou, Iphowuphowu, Kalyababungu, Kaphikaulesi, Karyababunga, Kisandi, Lifweni likomi, Lihuluka, Mchicha pori, Mfungu, Mongyedi, Mundawarara, Nafanafa, Ndewele, Ngengutu, Nyasungwi, Piwejeya, Salimba, Sangan'akoholahy, Saza, Tchobodoue, Torchata, Torketa, Tsalambi, Umpema, Welbete, Woolflower, Zaza

Synonyms

Celosia digyna Suess.; Celosia laxa Schumach. & Thonn.; Celosia loandensis Suess. ex Brenan; Celosia melanocarpos Poir.; Celosia minutiflora Baker; Celosia semperflorens Baker; Celosia triloba E. Mey. ex Meissn.;