Quail grass (Celosia argentea)

Boroco or quail grass (Celosia argentea) is a species of plant in the Amaranthaceae, a shrub with erect stems, maroon or green in color, requiring full sun, widely used as ornamental plants and flowers by the distinctive form of erect spikes.

C. argentea has a strong stem with many branches from the lowest base to the apex to form a dense plant, but it opens and tapers upwards to a height of up to 1.5 meters, is maroon or green in color and the surface has vertical grooves.

Single leaf 5-15 cm long, base and tip pointed, oval or lance-shaped and strongly veined, a main vein linear and straight with several minor veins towards the sides and curved, slightly wavy margins, upper surface maroon or green.

Abundant flowers growing at the tips of branches above the leaves, sturdy, erect cylindrical, 2-15 cm long and depending on the cultivar, pointed tip, white on the underside and maroon on the top or one of these and often develop a silver sheen. Flowers are visited by bees, wasps, butterflies and the occasional hummingbird.

Quail grass produces tiny, shiny black seeds with a pink to white or cream hue that remain attractive even after the flowers have worn off and are often used as fresh or dried cut flowers.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Amaranthoideae
Genus: Celosia
Species: Celosia argentea
Varities: Celosia argentea var. argentea, Celosia argentea var. plumosa, Celosia argentea var. pyramidalis

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