Wild Cosmos is a wild cousin of the popular garden plant,
Cosmos. It is an annual herb, growing 1–8
ft tall, hairless or sparsely hairy. Leaf stalks are 1–7 cm long. Leaves
are finely dissected, 10–20 cm long. Ultimate lobes are 2–10 mm wide.
Flowers (flower-heads, technically) are borne on 10–30 cm long stalks.
Petals (actually ray florets) are rose-pink to purple, oblong to
inverted-lance shaped, 0.5–1.5 cm long, 3-lobed at the tip. Disc florets
are 5–6 mm, yellow. Wild Cosmos is native to the American continents, but
widely naturalized. This plant is supposed to be edible. It is believed
that Wild Cosmos was brought to South Asia
by sailing Spaniards who used it as food.
Flowering: June-November.
Medicinal uses: In SE Asia, the plant is used traditionally for improving blood circulation.
Identification credit: Ryan Brookes
Photographed at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra.
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The flower labeled Wild Cosmos is ...