Cosmos caudatus

H. B. Kunth

Wild cosmos

Asteraceae Edible: Leaves, Vegetable 1,783 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Cosmos caudatus or king's salad is an annual plant in the genus Cosmos, bearing purple, pink, or white ray florets. It is native to Latin America (from Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil to Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico), and the West Indies, though naturalized in tropical parts of Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Description

An erect annual herb. It grows 0.5-2 m high. The stem has sparse hairs. The leaves are divided 2 or 3 times. They are 5-15 cm long with a leaf stalk 7 cm long. The upper segments of the leaf are oblong and 1.5-3.5 cm long by 3-6 mm wide. There is one flower head. It is 1-1.5 cm long and 5 mm wide. The dry fruit is 2-2.6 cm long.

Edible Uses

The shoots are eaten raw with vermicelli. Young leaves are eaten as a vegetable, either cooked and added to stews or mixed with rice to prepare yeast. It is commercially cultivated and sold in local markets.

Traditional Uses

The shoots are eaten raw with vermicelli. The young leaves are eaten as a vegetable. They are also cooked and added to stews. The leaves are mixed with rice to prepare yeast.

Medicinal Uses

The plant possibly has anti-cancer properties.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. In Indonesia it grows from coastal areas up to high mountains. It needs a fertile, well-drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 7-11.

Where It Grows

America, Asia, Australia, Central America, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico*, Myanmar, North America, Pacific, Pan tropical, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, SE Asia, Singapore, South America*, Suriname, Thailand, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, West Indies, West Timor,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. For edible leaves it is normally planted densely and harvested by thinning out.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is sold in local markets.

Notes

There are about 25 Cosmos species. It possibly has anti-cancer properties.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Leaves	93	70	17	3	900	—	—	—

Synonyms

Bidens artemisifolia subsp. caudata (Kunth) KuntzeBidens berteriana Spreng.Bidens carnea HeerBidens caudata (Kunth) Sch.Bip.Cosmos caudata (Kunth) Spreng.Cosmos bipinnatus Ridley

Also Known As

Cosmos, Daao rueang phamaa, Daoruang-phama, Dewa daroo, Kenikir, Kenikir, Khamhae, Kiun'ut, Margarita, Onwad, Pelampong, Randa midang, Turay-turay, Ulam rajah

References (26)

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Andarwulan, N., et al, 2010, Flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of vegetables from Indonesia. Food Chemistry 121: 1231-1235
Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 207
Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 39
Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 679

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