Celosia argentea L.

Boroco (Celosia argentea) is an upright annual herb 0.4-1.5 m tall of the Amaranthaceae family, native to the Americas and spread to South China and Africa. This plant is widely known as traditional medicine with a long history in China, where each part has a different use: the root for colic, the seeds for hypertension, and the flowers for bleeding hemorrhoids.

In Indonesia, it can be found at elevations of 1-1,700 m above sea level. Grows well in full sunlight, annual daytime temperatures between 25-30°C, average annual rainfall in the range of 1,500-2,500 mm/year.

• Stem round, hairless with coarse longitudinal grooves, many branches, green or red in color.
• Leaves single, alternate, green or red, elongated lance-shaped, pointed tip and base, edges finely serrated almost flat, pinnate venation.
• Flowers compound emerging from the stem tip or branches, spike-shaped 5-10 cm long, standing alone, upright, growing elongated, round cylindrical, dense, toward the tip, purplish-white in color.
• Fruit broad, inverted ovoid with an easily shed lid.
• Seeds numbering 3-9, small, kidney-shaped, glossy black in color.

Propagated generatively (seed).

Polyphenol, flavonoid betavulgarin, alkaloid, tannin, saponin, cyclopeptide moroidin, ascorbic acid, glycoside, citrusin C.

Root: addresses colic, gonorrhea, and eczema. Leaves: addresses inflammation and itching. Seeds: treatment for hypertension, jaundice, diarrhea, wounds, and fever. Flowers: treats bleeding hemorrhoids, uterine bleeding outside of menstruation, lung disease.

Not yet available.

Bayam ekor belanda (Malay), Bayam bludu (West Sumatra), Jawer hayam (Sunda), Janggar siap (Bali), Sangsri, Cuca (Central Java), Kuntha (Kangean).