Amaranthaceae, Celosia argentea, Quail Grass

Considered to be one of the most attractive of all vegetable crops, celosia is used as an ornamental almost everywhere on earth. But few of its millions of admirers know that it is a common item of human diets in parts of tropical Africa. The fresh young leaves, young stems, and young flower spikes are used to produce a tasty and nutritious “soup” that is daily fare in areas throughout West Africa. Productive and easy to grow, the plant could become a much greater contributor to malnutrition and general human welfare equatorial regions of the world.

Leaves are high in Vitamin A, C, and Calcium. The calcium, however, is not available because its tied up in oxalic acid.