Celosia, also known as woolflowers and cockscomb, is a member of the amaranth family, and originated from the native regions of Asia and Africa. The leaves and the young shoots can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
The leaves also have a soft texture and a mild spinach-like taste. They are also pepped up with such things as hot pepper, garlic, fresh lime, and red palm oil and eaten as a side dish.
This impressive botanical is used to treat uterine bleeding, bloody stool and bleeding haemorrhoids. Indeed, every part of the celosia plant occupies a valued niche in the world of natural healing.
The flowers bring diarrhoea under control while the leaves are used as dressings for boils and sores. The seeds ease stresses centered within the chest, and they are also rendered into poultices applied to broken bones.
Celosias are one of the most eye-catching tender annuals to grow in the garden, with the three types of Celosia being easily distinguishable from one another: plumes, crests, or spikes.
Recent studies have shown that an extract from Celosia used as an alcohol solution may help heal burns and wounds faster.
It has also been used in the past for skin sores, eruptions, and mouth sores. It is not proven to speed up healing yet but studies are still being conducted to determine if it can be used for medicinal purposes.
It is also not unheard of for the plant to be used to treat problems with the eye as well.
Flower tops have been used for amenorrhea, dysentery, spitting up blood, haemorrhoids, leucorrhoea, and atypical uterine bleeding.
As a parasiticide it is very effective against Trichomonas, a 20% extract can cause the Trichomonas to disappear in 15 minutes. The seed is hypotensive and ophthalmic.
Celosia seed is able to clear liver fire, which makes it an ideal herb for syndromes of hyperactivity of liver-yang, for example hypertension.
