Gomphrena celosioides Mart.

Annual, erect or ascending, 10-25 cm long, often branched from the base; stem finely appressed-white-pilose; internode immediately beneath 2 topmost leaves often long. Leaves shortly petioled or subsessile, spathulate or oblong-lanceolate from an acute base, acute or rather obtuse, ending in a short rather hard point, glabrous or sparingly ap-pressed pilose above, thinly or rather densely ap-pressed pilose beneath, 2-4½ by ½-1¼ cm; 2 topmost leaves subsessile. Heads sessile above highest pair of leaves, at first subglobose, ± 1 cm diam., gradually lenghthening into a spike, finally up to 4 cm long; receptacle long-white-woolly; bracts ovate, acuminate, very acute, 3-4 mm; bracteoles long-ovate, very acute, white, ± 6 mm, in the higher part with a dorsal crest; crest narrow, abruptly ending below top of the bracteole and there sparingly shortly, irregularly dentate, otherwise entire. Perianth inserted on a minute knob, pure white, somewhat shorter than the bracteoles, 4½-5½ mm. Tepals narrowly lanceolate, acute, in lower half externally densely clothed with long fine white hairs. Stamens slightly shorter than perianth; filaments nearly entirely connate; apical teeth of the staminal tube varying from rather obtuse to rather acute, not or shortly exceeding unwithered anthers, ± ⅔ mm. Style much shorter than the staminal tube, bifid somewhat deeper than halfway down, totalling ¾-1 mm. Ripe fruit not seen.

It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows on sandy and gravelly soils and can be in waterlogged places. It grows in areas with a rainfall less than 520 mm per year. It can grow in arid places. In Zimbabwe it grows between 400-1,600 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level.

The leaves are cooked and eaten as a potherb. They can be dried and stored for later use.