Pannaikeerai (Celosia argentea)

Pannaikeerai is silver cockscomb, an annual of the amaranth family whose leaves are cooked as a green in Tamil Nadu and widely in West Africa. It grows wild as a weed in Indian fields and is also planted for its silvery-pink flower spikes. Garden cockscomb, with its velvety crested heads, and plumed celosia are cultivated forms of the same species. Hindi lists call it sirmai.

Botanical name: Celosia argentea L.
Family: Amaranthaceae
Tamil: Pannaikeerai
Hindi: Sirmai
Parts used: Leaf, Tender spike
Habit: Silver cockscomb; ornamental crests are still this species
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Pannaikeerai

It is an upright annual, usually knee- to waist-high, with smooth, often reddish stems.

The leaves are narrow to lance-shaped, soft and alternate.

Flowers form dense, pointed, cone-like spikes that open pink at the tip and fade to silvery white below.

Garden forms have crested, brain-like heads or feathery plumes in red, orange, yellow and pink.

The seeds are tiny, black and glossy, held in small papery capsules.

Traditional use of Pannaikeerai

Kitchen

Young leaves and shoots are cooked with dal or as a stir-fry in Tamil Nadu, much like other keerai.

Tamil food practice

Kitchen

In Nigeria the leaves, called soko, are one of the most popular soup greens.

West African food practice

Flowers

Bright cockscomb heads are used in garlands and temple offerings and dried for flower arrangements.

Indian flower trade practice

Modern notes on Pannaikeerai

The leaves supply protein, iron, calcium and beta-carotene, like other amaranth-family greens.

Celosia seed is used in Chinese herbal practice for eye complaints, but clinical evidence is lacking.

As a field weed it can reduce yields of crops such as groundnut and millets.

Pannaikeerai safety

Eat the leaves cooked and in normal food amounts. Like many leafy greens, they contain some oxalate.

Ecology and sourcing

It grows across tropical Asia and Africa on disturbed ground and field edges.

Bees and butterflies visit the flower spikes.

Its tiny seeds stay alive in soil and sprout after the rains.

Related plants

Also in Amaranthaceae

Questions about Pannaikeerai

Is cockscomb the same species?

Yes. Crested cockscomb is a garden form of Celosia argentea.

Are the leaves of Pannaikeerai edible?

Yes, when cooked as a green.

Is Pannaikeerai the same as thandu keerai?

No. Thandu keerai is Amaranthus tricolor.

What is soko?

Its Yoruba name in Nigeria, where it is a soup green.

Can I grow Pannaikeerai at home?

Yes. It grows easily from seed in sun.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.