Celosia argentea var. cristata
celosia
A velvety convoluted crest in deep wine red, with a texture closer to fabric than to a flower. Nothing else on the rack looks like it, which is the whole reason to include one.
Native toTropical Africa
In seasonYear-round
Vase life7 – 14 days
Pairs withMagenta chrysanthemum · Gerbera · Eucalyptus
Elsewhere
Victorian floriography read cockscomb as affectation, which says more about a culture that distrusted anything conspicuous than about the plant. It is a food crop and a garden staple across West Africa, India and Southeast Asia.