What is Silver cockscomb?

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About Silver cockscomb:

It is a short-lived 50-60 cm-tall plant considered as a weed, that bears simple, spirally arranged leaves around the stem with pinkish or silky white flowers.
In Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara district the silver cockscomb is referred to as anne soppu.
Also known as lagos spinach which belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, which includes economically important plants like spinach (Spinacia oleracea), beetroot and quinoa.
The plant is known as Celosia argentea, kurdu in Marathi and pannai keerai in Tamil.
It grows well even on fallow land and in drought-like conditions.
Its leaves have lower levels of oxalic acid and phytic acid.
Benefits
- Soligas use it as a nutritious leafy green vegetable, as it is high in nutrients such as beta-carotene and folic acids, and have vitamin E, calcium and iron.
- It is frequently used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for treating eye diseases and ulcers.

Who are Soligas?

They are an indigenous tribe of Karnataka,
They reside in the peripheral forest areas near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara in the Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka.
They are the first tribal community living inside the core area of a tiger reserve in India to get their forest rights officially recognised by a court of law.

Q1) What are Micronutrients?

Micronutrients are essential nutrients required by living organisms, including humans, in small quantities for proper growth, development, and various physiological functions.

Source: Green promise: Silver cockscomb isn’t a troublesome weed for Karnataka’s Soliga tribe