West Indian Cock's Comb

Celosia nitida is widespread in subtropical regions of the New World. In Florida, it occurs mostly in the Keys north to Dade, Lake, Lee, and Monroe counties; in Texas it is known from the south Texas plains, gulf prairies and marshes, and barely into the Edwards Plateau.

Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, 0.3-2 m, glabrous; rootstock elongate, woody. Stems erect or clambering, branched from rootstock. Leaves: petiole 0.5-2 cm; blade unlobed, deltate, ovate, rhombic, to triangular-lanceolate, 3-7 × 1-4 cm, base abruptly narrowed, truncate, or oblique, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences lax panicles of few terminal or axillary spikes, units less than 10 mm diam. Flowers: tepals greenish, greenish white, or pinkish green, striate, drying to tan, ± equal, 3.5-7 mm, rather rigid; style 1 mm; stigmas 3. Utricles 4-5 mm. Seeds to 20, 0.8-1 mm diam., faintly reticulate or smooth.

Fla., Tex.; Mexico; West Indies; South America.

Flowering fall-winter.

Coastal sand dunes, coppices, kitchen middens, hammocks, thickets, oak savannas, gravel slopes; 0-800m.

Celosia texana Scheele