Cosmos atrosanguineus
| Cosmos atrosanguineus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Cosmos |
| Species: | C. atrosanguineus
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| Binomial name | |
| Cosmos atrosanguineus | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
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Cosmos atrosanguineus, the chocolate cosmos, is a species of Cosmos, native to Mexico. It has often been claimed that it is extinct in the wild; however it is "quite abundant" in Mexico. The species was introduced into cultivation in 1885, when the British seed company Thompson & Morgan first listed it in their seed catalogue.[4]
Cosmos atrosanguineus is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 40–60 cm tall, with a fleshy tuberous root. The leaves are 7–15 cm long, pinnate, with leaflets 2–5 cm long. The flowers are produced in a capitulum 3-4.5 cm diameter, dark red to maroon-dark brown, with a ring of six to ten (usually eight) broad ray florets and a center of disc florets; they have a light vanillin fragrance (like many chocolates), which becomes more noticeable as the summer day wears on.[5]
Cultivation and uses
Both seed-raised and vegetatively propagated cultivars are available, varying in the size, colour and shape of the petals. An article in 2017 listed 17 cultivars and seed-raised strains.[4] The variation in flower color from red to black of Cosmos atrosanguineus and its cultivars results from variation in the amounts of anthocyanins and chalcone present.[6]
It requires partial sun or full sun, and flowers from mid to late summer. It is frost-sensitive (Zones 6–11); in temperate zones, the tuber has to be dug up and stored in a frost-free store over the winter. The flowers of this species are produced in a capitulum 3–4.5 cm diameter, dark red to maroon-dark brown, with a ring of six to ten (usually eight) broad ray florets and a center of disc florets; they have a light vanillin fragrance (like many chocolates), which becomes more noticeable in the summer days.
References
- ^ The International Plant Names Index
- ^ Tropicos
- ^ The Plant List
- ^ a b Rice, Graham (2017), "The story of Cosmos atrosanguineus", The Plantsman (New Series), 16 (2): 112–119
- ^ [1]
- ^ Amamiya, K., & Iwashina, T. (2016). "Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Flower Pigments in Chocolate Cosmos, Cosmos atrosanguineus, and its Hybrids". Natural Product Communications, 11(1), 77–78.
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