Sunflower
Name: The botanical name is Helianthus. The Greek
word "helios" means
sun and "anthos" means flower.
Origin: South and West of the
USA.
Colour: Most sunflowers are
bright yellow with dark brown centres, but varieties are appearing
now
which have tan, orange, maroon
or striped petals, and green-yellow centres. Some are even
without the central disc, but are fully covered in petals
instead.
Facts: Sunflower stems were
used to fill lifejackets before the advent of modern materials.
Low-pollen
sunflowers
have been developed
in recent years which not only helps asthma sufferers,
but extend the flower's life.
Language of Flowers: The dwarf
sunflower means "adulation".
Medicinal: The sunflower is grown for the seeds and oil
it produces.Each mature flower yields 40% of its weight
as oil.
History: The flower was cultivated
by North American Indians for many years as a food crop
The nutritional
value is still
the main reason for growing it in many parts of the
world. Only recently have we begun to grow sunflowers for decorative
reasons.
