Southwest cosmos
Cosmos parviflorus

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A small plant. It grows 50-75 cm high. It branches several times in the upper half. The leaves are threadlike. They are divided 2 or 3 times. There is a single flower head at the end of each stalk. It has 5 orchid ray flowers with yellow centre.

There are about 25 Cosmos species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in gravelly soil up to 2,500 m altitude in Texas.

Countries/locations it is found in

Central America, Mexico, North America, USA

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten raw when young.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Ku-ku-ve Tar

Synonyms

Bidens humboldtii Sch.Bip.; Coreopsis parviflora Jacq.; Cosmea parviflora Willd.; Cosmos bipinnatus var. parviflorus A. Gray; Cosmos parviflorus (Jacq.) Kunth [Illegitimate];