Celosia trigyna L.

Amaranthaceae, C. C. Townsend. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb, erect, simple or branching from near the base upwards, (8) 30–120 (180) cm.

Morphology Stem

Stem and branches green to reddish, sulcate or striate, glabrous or with short, few-celled hairs especially about the nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves narrowly lanceolate to broadly ovate, occasionally (mostly in S. Africa) with a broad, obtuse lateral lobe on each side near the base, acute to acuminate, glabrous or with short, few-celled hairs on the inferior surface about the base; lamina of main stem leaves (1) 2–8.5 (10) × (0.4) 1–4 (5) cm., subcordate to truncate or attenuate below, the lower margins often scabrid, more or less decurrent along the slender, up to more or less 5 cm. long petiole; superior and branch leaves smaller and often narrower, more shortly petiolate; all leaves often fallen by the fruiting stage.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and terminal, simple or branched spike-like thyrses more or less 6.5–35 cm. long, formed of distant or (at least above) approximate, few-to many-flowered lax or congested and subglobose, white or pinkish clusters 2–20 (30) mm. in diam., in well-grown individuals the superior leaves much reduced so that a terminal panicle is formed; inflorescence axis glabrous or furnished with multicellular hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts and bracteoles ovate to ovate-elliptic, c. 1.25–2 mm. long, scarious with a darker nerve, margins minutely (or more coarsely at the base) erose-denticulate, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Tepals ovate-elliptic, 1.75–2.75 mm. long, shortly mucronate with excurrent midrib, glabrous, scarious with a narrow less translucent band along the midrib, margins minutely denticulate at least above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Free portion of filaments subequalling the sheath, sinuses rounded with no intermediate teeth; anthers reddish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma

Stigmas 2–3, longer than the very short style; ovary 6–8-ovulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ovoid, 1.75–2.25 mm. long, included or a little exserted, rounded and not thickened at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 0.75 mm. in diam., compressed, black, shining, with a rather fine reticulate pattern, the areolae only slightly convex.

Amaranthaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Laxly erect annual herb, decumbent below, 6–24 in. high, or straggling up a support to about 4 ft.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white with pink stamens

Ecology

A frequent weed in waste places in savannah and forest regions.

Amaranthaceae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit

Annual herb, erect, simple or branching from near the base upwards, (8–)30–120(–180) cm.

Morphology Stem

Stem and branches green to reddish, sulcate or striate, glabrous or with subscabrid, short, few-celled hairs especially about the nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves narrowly lanceolate to broadly ovate, acute to acuminate, glabrous or with short few-celled hairs on the lower surface about the base; lamina of the leaves from main stem (10–)20–85(–100) × (4–)10–40(–50) mm., subcordate to truncate or attenuate below, the lower margins often scabrid, ± decurrent along the slender, up to ± 5 cm. petiole; upper and branch leaves smaller and often narrower, more shortly stalked; all leaves often deciduous by the time of fruiting.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and terminal, simple or branched spike-like condensed thyrses ± 6.5–35 cm. long, formed of distant or (at least above) approximate few-many-flowered lax or congested and subglobose white or pinkish clusters 2–20(–30) mm. in diameter, in well-grown individuals the upper leaves much reduced so that a terminal panicle is formed; inflorescence-axis glabrous or sparingly furnished with multicellular hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts and bracteoles ovate to oval-elliptic, ± 1.25–2 mm., scarious with a single nerve, margins minutely (often more coarsely at the base) erose-denticulate, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Perianth segments oval-elliptic, 1.75–2.75 mm., shortly mucronate with the percurrent single nerve, glabrous, scarious with a narrow less translucent vitta along the nerve, margins minutely denticulate, at least above.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Free portion of filaments subequalling the sheath, sinuses rounded with no intermediate teeth; anthers red.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma

Stigmas 2–3, longer than the very short style.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 6–8-ovulate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ovoid, 1.75–2.25 mm., included or a little exserted, rounded and not thickened at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ± 0.75 mm., compressed, black, shining, with a rather fine reticulate pattern, the areolae being only very slightly convex.

Habitat

Most frequently as a weed of abandoned or currently cultivated arable land, also in forest clearings, along woodland paths and roadsides, in short grassland or on damp ground by rivers; 1–1500 m.

Distribution

K2 K4 K5 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 practically throughout tropical Africarecently recorded as naturalised in Florida

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual herb, simple or branched, (80–)30–120(–180) cm

Morphology General Indumentum

Stem, branches and inflorescence axis glabrous or with short multicellular hairs mostly at the nodes

Morphology Leaves

Leaves broadly ovate to narrowly lanceolate, acute or acuminate, main stem-leaves 1–10 x 0.4–5 cm, glabrous or with scattered short few-celled glands on the lower surface towards the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary and terminal, white to pinkish, thyrsoid, simple or branched, dense or with the cymes distant, 6.5–35 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Tepals elliptic-ovate, 1.7–2.75 mm, hyaline with a less pellucid central vitta, midrib shortly excurrent, the margins ± erose-denticulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 6–10-ovulate, the stigmas much longer than the very short style

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule ovoid, obtuse, not incrassate at the apex, 1.75–2.25 mm.

Distribution

S3 widespread in tropical Africa, also in Namibia, S Africa, Madagascar, Arabia and Madeira, naturalised elsewhere.

Ecology

Altitude range 90 m.

Amaranthaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

A straggling herb, climbing in low forest-regrowth, to 10 ft. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white

Ecology

Rare in savannah.