coxcomb

Coxcomb, sometimes spelled cockscomb, is a term with several related meanings. It most literally denotes the fleshy comb on the head of a rooster, a crest of tissue that varies in color.

In horticulture, cockscomb is a common name for Celosia, a genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family. The two best-known groups are crested celosia (Celosia cristata), with brain-like, undulating inflorescences, and plumed celosia (Celosia argentea var. plumosa), with elongated, feathery plumes. They are annuals in temperate regions and are widely grown as ornamentals. Inflorescences can be vivid red, pink, yellow, orange, or white. Plants reach typically 30–90 cm tall, depending on variety.

Etymology and usage: The name comes from the rooster’s comb; the term also historically described a fashionable or vain man, a dandy, and appears in literature as a pejorative term. The word has also appeared in fashion as a hat or adornment associated with certain styles.

In data visualization, "coxcomb" or "coxcomb chart" refers to a polar area diagram (also called a rose diagram) used by Florence Nightingale to depict mortality data during the Crimean War, emphasizing the relative contributions of different causes of death.