Scientific name: Allmania nodiflora (L.) R.Br. ex Wight
Family: Amaranthaceae
Synonym: Celosia nodiflora L.
Vernacular name in Malayalam: Petharthaval, Pekkozhuppa
Habit: Annual, erect or ascending herb, 10–50 cm tall, with branched stems near the base.
Habitat: Commonly found in seasonally dry areas, including roadsides, open fields, and disturbed sites.
Distribution: Native to the Indian Subcontinent, extending to China (Guangxi), and Western & Central Malesia.
Flowering and Fruiting: Produces globose flower-heads, becoming somewhat elongated, with 3–7-flowered cymes; flowers can be greenish or orange-red.
Key identification features: Obovate, oblong, or linear leaves; globose to somewhat elongated flower-heads; bracts and bracteoles ovate-lanceolate, white on margin with green or purple midvein, apex long acuminate.
Uses: Traditionally used in folk medicine for various ailments; consumed as a leafy vegetable in some regions.
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