Sunflower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Helianthus Species: H. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Magnoliopsida is the Botanical name for a class of Flowering plants By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its The Asterales are an order of Dicotyledonous Flowering plants which include the composite family Asteraceae ( Sunflowers daisies The family Asteraceae or Compositae (known as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family) is the largest family of Flowering The Helianthus L Genus comprises 67 species and several subspecies in the Asteraceae family all of which are native to North America annuus
Binomial name
Helianthus annuus L.

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native to the Americas in the family Asteraceae, with a large flowering head (inflorescence). Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for Botanically an annual plant is a Plant that usually germinates, Flowers and dies in one Year. The family Asteraceae or Compositae (known as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family) is the largest family of Flowering An inflorescence is a group or cluster of Flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main Branch or a complicated arrangement of branches The stem of the flower can grow as high as 3 metres tall, with the flower head reaching up to 30 cm in diameter with the "large" seeds. The term "sunflower" is also used to refer to all plants of the genus Helianthus, many of which are perennial plants. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic The Helianthus L Genus comprises 67 species and several subspecies in the Asteraceae family all of which are native to North America A perennial plant or perennial ( Latin per, "through" annus, "year" is a Plant that lives for more than

Description

What is usually called the flower is actually a head (formally composite flower) of numerous flowers (florets) crowded together. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also In Anatomy, the head of an Animal is the Rostral part (from Anatomical position that usually comprises the Brain, Eyes The outer flowers are the pubic florets and can be yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors, and are sterile. Yellow is the Color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M (long and medium wavelength Cone cells of the Retina about equally Maroon is a dark Brownish Red Color. The first recorded use of Maroon as a color name in English was in 1789. The colour orange occurs The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets. The disc florets mature into what are traditionally called "sunflower seeds," but are actually the fruit (an achene) of the plant. The sunflower seed is the Fruit of the Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus) The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. An achene is a type of simple dry Fruit produced by many species of Flowering plants Achenes are "monocarpellate" (formed from one Carpel The true seeds are encased in an inedible husk.

The florets within this cluster are arranged spirally. Typically each floret is oriented toward the next by approximately the golden angle, producing a pattern of interconnecting spirals where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. In Geometry, the golden angle is the smaller of the two Angles created by sectioning the circumference of a circle according to the Golden section; that In Mathematics, a spiral is a Curve which emanates from a central point getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point In Mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers are a Sequence of numbers named after Leonardo of Pisa, known as Fibonacci Typically, there are 34 spirals in 1 direction and 55 in the other; on a very large sunflower you may see 89 in one direction and 144 in the other.

Sunflower head displaying florets in spirals of 34 and 55 around the outside

Heliotropism

Sunflowers in the bud stage exhibit heliotropism. In Botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic Shoot and normally occurs in the Axil of a Leaf or at the tip of the stem Heliotropism is the Diurnal motion of plant parts (flowers or leaves in response to the direction of the sun At sunrise, the faces of most sunflowers are turned towards the east. Over the course of the day, they move to track the sun from east to west, while at night they return to an eastward orientation. This motion is performed by motor cells in the pulvinus, a flexible segment of the stem just below the bud. A pulvinus (pl pulvini) is a Joint -like thickening at the base of a plant Leaf or leaflet that facilitates nyctinastic and thigmonastic As the bud stage ends, the stem stiffens and the blooming stage is reached.

Sunflowers in the blooming stage are not heliotropic anymore. The stem has frozen, typically in an eastward orientation. The stem and leaves lose their green color.

The wild sunflower typically does not turn toward the sun; its flowering heads may face many directions when mature. However, the leaves typically exhibit some heliotropism.

Cultivation and uses

A sunflower farm near Mysore, India. Mysore (maɪˈsɔɚ in English; renamed to Mysuru|ಮೈಸೂರು) (ಮೈಸೂರು is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Sunflower heads sold as snacks in China. A snack food (commonly called a snack) is seen in Western culture as a type of food not meant to be eaten as a main Meal of the day – Breakfast China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

The sunflower is native to the Americas. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Current research shows that it may have been domesticated twice, first in Mexico and later in the middle Mississippi Valley. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Alternatively, it may have been introduced northward from Mexico at an early date as corn (maize) had been. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica The evidence thus far is that the sunflower was first domesticated in Mexico by at least 2600 BC. ^[1] The earliest known examples of a fully domesticated sunflower north of Mexico have been found in Tennessee and date back to around 2300 B. C. Many indigenous American peoples used the sunflower as the symbol of the sun deity, including the Aztecs and the Otomi of Mexico and the Incas in South America. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political The Inca Empire (or Inka Empire) was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Gold images of the flower, as well as seeds, were taken back to Spain early in the 16th century. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

To grow well, sunflowers need full sun. They grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with a lot of mulch. Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel In Agriculture and Gardening, '''mulch''' is a protective cover placed over the Soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local Climate. In commercial planting, seeds are planted 45 cm (1. 5') apart and 2. 5 cm (1") deep.

Sunflower "whole seed" (fruit) are sold as a snack food after roasting within heated ovens with or without salt added. Sunflowers can be processed into a peanut butter alternative, Sunbutter, especially in China, Russia, the United States, the Middle East and Europe. Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground roasted Peanuts with or without added oil Sunbutter is a brand of sunflower butter made from sunflower seeds similar to Peanut butter. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. It is also sold as food for birds and can be used directly in cooking and salads. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Salad is a mixture of cold foods usually including vegetables and/or fruits often with a dressing occasionally nuts or Croutons, and sometimes with the addition of

Sunflower oil, extracted from the seeds, is used for cooking, as a carrier oil and to produce biodiesel, for which it is less expensive than the olive product. Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil expressed from Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus) seeds The sunflower seed is the Fruit of the Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus) Cooking oil is purified Fat of Plant or Animal origin which is liquid at room temperature Carrier oil, also known as base oil or vegetable oil, is used to dilute Essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based Diesel fuel consisting of short chain Alkyl ( Methyl or ethyl) Esters made by The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern A range of sunflower varieties exist with differing fatty acid compositions; some 'high oleic' types contain a higher level of healthy monounsaturated fats in their oil than even olive oil. Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees

During the 18th Century, the use of sunflower oil became very popular in Europe, particularly with members of the Russian Orthodox Church because sunflower oil was one of the few oils that was not prohibited during Lent.

The cake remaining after the seeds have been processed for oil is used as a livestock feed. Livestock is the term used to refer (singularly or plurally to a Domesticated Animal intentionally reared in an agricultural setting to produce such as Food Some recently developed cultivars have drooping heads. A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar These cultivars are less attractive to gardeners growing the flowers as ornamental plants, but appeal to farmers, because they reduce bird damage and losses from some plant diseases. Gardening is the practice of growing Plants for their attractive flowers or foliage and Vegetables or Fruits for consumption Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower Garden or as House plants Most commonly they are grown for the display of their Flowers Other common A farmer is a person who raises living organisms for food or raw materials Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Sunflowers also produce latex and are the subject of experiments to improve their suitability as an alternative crop for producing hypoallergenic rubber. LaTeX (ˈleɪtɛ Hypoallergenic is a term coined by advertisers (based on the Greek prefix Hypo meaning "below normal" or "slightly" and first used in a cosmetics

Traditionally, many Native American groups included the sunflower as the "fourth sister" with the better known "three sisters" combination of corn, beans, and squash (Kuepper & Dodson, 2001 [[1]]). Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Bean is a common name for large plant Seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae used for human food or animal Annual species are often planted for their allelopathic properties. Allelopathy is the inhibition of growth of a plant due to Biomolecules released by another

However, for commercial farmers growing commodity crops, the sunflower, like any other unwanted plant, is often considered a weed. WEED (1390 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Spanish format Especially in the midwestern USA, wild (perennial) species are often found in corn and soybean fields and can have a negative impact on yields.

Mathematical model

Illustration of Vogel's model for n=1. . 500 .

A model for the pattern of florets in the head of a sunflower was proposed by H Vogel. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also This is expressed in polar coordinates

,

,

where θ is the angle, r is the radius or distance from the center, and n is the index number of the floret and c is a constant scaling factor. In Mathematics, the polar coordinate system is a two-dimensional Coordinate system in which each point on a plane is determined by It is a form of Fermat's spiral. Fermat's spiral (also known as a parabolic Spiral) follows the equation r = \pm\theta^{1/2}\ in Polar coordinates The angle 137. 5° is related to the golden ratio and gives a close packing of florets. In Mathematics and the Arts two quantities are in the Golden ratio if the Ratio between the sum of those quantities and the larger one is the This model has been used to produce computer graphics representations of sunflowers. ^[2]

Size

Sunflowers most commonly grow to heights between 2. 5 and 3. 5 m (8 - 12'). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Scientific literature reports, from 1567, that a 12 m (40'), traditional, single-head, sunflower plant was grown in Padua. Padua ( Padova 'padova Latin: Patavium, Padoa) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. The same seed lot grew almost 8 m (24') at other times and places (e. g. Madrid). Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Much more recent feats (past score years) of over 8 m (25') have been achieved in both Netherlands and Ontario, Canada. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

Cultural usage

• The sunflower is the state flower of the U. S. state of Kansas, and one of the city flowers of Kitakyushu, Japan. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It is midway between Tokyo and Shanghai. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
• The sunflower is often used as a symbol of green ideology, much as the red rose is a symbol of socialism or social democracy. Green politics is a Political ideology which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals and on achieving these goals through broad-based A rose is a perennial flowering Shrub or vine of the Genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left The sunflower is also the symbol of the Vegan Society. The Vegan Society is a Registered charity in the United Kingdom, promoting Veganism.
• Subject of Van Gogh's most famous still life, Sunflowers (series of paintings)

Varieties

• American Giant Hybrid
• Arikara
• Autumn Beauty
• Aztec Sun
• Black Oil
• Dwarf Sunspot
• Evening Sun
• Giant Primrose
• Indian Blanket Hybrid
• Irish Eyes
• Italian White
• Kong Hybrid
• Large Grey Stripe
• Lemon Queen
• Mammoth Sunflower
• Mongolian Giant
• Orange Sun
• Red Sun
• Ring of Fire
• Rostov
• Soraya
• Sunny Hybrid
• Taiyo
• Tarahumara
• Teady Bear
• Titan
• Valentine
• Velvet Queen

Other species

• The Maximillian sunflower (Helianthus maximillianii) is one of 38 species of perennial sunflower native to North America. This article is about Still Life (or still lifes as plural the art form Sunflowers (original title in French Tournesols) are the subject of a series of Still life paintings executed in Oil on canvas by the sunflower is a new crop being developed by crossing wild perennial and domestic annual sunflower species The Land Institute and other breeding programs are currently exploring the potential for these as a perennial seed crop
• The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosa) is related to the sunflower, another example of perennial sunflower. The Land Institute is a Non-profit research education and policy organization dedicated to Sustainable agriculture based in Kansas United States The Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus) also called the sunroot or sunchoke or earth apple or topinambur, is a species sunflower is a new crop being developed by crossing wild perennial and domestic annual sunflower species
• The Mexican sunflower is Tithonia rotundifolia. It is only very distantly related to North American sunflowers.
• False sunflower refers to plants of the genus Heliopsis.

Gallery

Sunflowers in Wilkesboro, North Carolina	Sunflowers in Manila, Philippines	Bumble bee sampling Sunflower nectar	Sunflowers growing near Fargo, North Dakota
Lone sunflower about 2 m (6 ft, 6') tall	Sunflower seedlings, just three days after germination	Large Russian Sunflower	Fruiting head
Sunflower seeds. Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The City of Manila A bumblebee (or bumble bee) is any member of the Bee Genus Bombus, in the family Apidae; there are over 250 known species primarily Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota in the United States.	Red sunflowers.	Small Sunflower	Sunflower Macro
Extreme close-up of sunflower head in Istanbul, Turkey	Sunflower against a blue sky	Sunflower in Japan. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches

See also

• Sheller
• Sunflower oil
• Red sunflower

Notes

References

• Pope, Kevin; Pohl, Mary E. D. ; Jones, John G. ; Lentz, 3 David L. ; von Nagy, Christopher; Vega, Francisco J. ; Quitmyer Irvy R. ; "Origin and Environmental Setting of Ancient Agriculture in the Lowlands of Mesoamerica," Science, 18 May 2001:Vol. Science is the Academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is considered one of the world's most prestigious Scientific 292. no. 5520, pp. 1370 - 1373.
• Shosteck, Robt. 1974. Flowers and Plants. An International Lexicon with Biographical Notes. Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co. 329 pp.
• Wood, Marcia. June 2002. "Sunflower Rubber?" Agricultural Research. USDA. [2]

External links

• National Sunflower Association
• Sunflower History