Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Silvery Cockscomb - Celosia argentea   L.
Members of Amaranthaceae:
Only member of Celosia in NC.
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Section 6 » Order Caryophyllales » Family Amaranthaceae
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AuthorL.
DistributionScattered in 3 counties: Alleghany, Rowan, and Pitt. Specimens from Mecklenburg and Wake counties are from arboretums, greenhouses, or are otherwise cultivated.

Native of the West Indies and South America; in N.A. NJ to IN and south to FL and TX; also UT.
AbundanceVery rare.
HabitatBehind gas station, granite outcrop, dump.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting July-November.
IdentificationSilvery Cockscomb grows 6 inches to 2 feet or more, with alternate, stalked, ovate leaves and acuminate tips. The inflorescences are axillary and terminal, dense with erect branches; the flowers are silvery to pink. This is a well-known garden plant, often cultivated.
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankGNR
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcpFAC link
USACE-empFACU link
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B.A. SorrieDisturbed soil, eastern Puerto Rico, 1970. Photo_non_NCPhoto_non_NC