Cosmos caudatus

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, and the West Indies, though naturalized in tropical parts of Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Description

The plant is known by several vernacular names in Central America which include:chactsul estrella del mar cambray cambray rojo mozote-doradilla flor de muerto
The species grows up to in height. The leaves are soft and pungent while the stem is light green with a purplish hue and succulent. As night falls the leaves fold to close the terminal buds as the plant literally sleeps. The flowers can be found solitary or in a loose clusters and are produced on a single stalk on auxiliary heads.

Gastronomy

Cosmos caudatus is edible and its common names include kenikir or ulam raja. In Indonesian cuisine and Malaysian cuisine the leaves of this plant are used for salad. In Brunei, it was usually served with sambal together with the local cuisine, ambuyat. It was brought by the Spaniards from Latin America, via the Philippines, to the rest of Southeast Asia. Ulam, a Malay word used to describe a preparation that combines food, medicine, and beauty, is a widely popular Malay herbal salad that is served throughout the country from major hotels for tourists to buffet lunches or dinners for the locals.