Sunflower Botanical Name: Classification, Species & Uses

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), the crop grown for its edible oil, are a member of the genus Helianthus. Sunflowers are native primarily to North and South America, and some species are cultivated as ornamentals for their spectacular size and flower heads and for their edible seeds.

The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is cultivated for its edible underground tubers. Helianthus, a genus containing almost 70 species of herbaceous plants in the Aster family (Asteraceae).

Key Takeaways: Sunflower, Botany, Tracheophytes, Helianthus agrestis, Angiospermae, Helianthus tuberosus

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Classification of Sunflower

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The characteristics of Sunflower is given below:

Helianthus annuus

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Characteristics of Sunflower

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• It is an annual plant of large proportions, which can reach over 3 meters high. 
• It is a plant with few branches and the stem is thick, erect and massive.
• It has deep roots formed by a main taproot and abundant secondary roots.
• Its leaves, between 5 and 30 cm long and half as wile, are large, oval, discreetly toothed, petiolated, with three main veins and rough to the touch. 
• The upper leaves are alternate and lower ones opposite.
• The inflorescence, also known as floral head, is large, 10 to 30cm in diameter and consists of hundreds of tiny tubular flowers.
• In the outer section it is found that the ligulas or external infertile flowers are in one or two rows that look like petals. 
• These flowers, on display from summer to fall, are golden yellow and have no direct reproductive function, but they serve as attraction for insects, which help the plant in the process of pollination.
• The back of the flower head is made up of a series of green bracts, like the stem. 
• The floral head presents heliotropic movement which is produced by twisting the stem in a process that is called nutation. At dusk, the stem returns slowly to its upright position.

Sunflower Diagram

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Geographical Distribution & Habitat of Sunflower

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• Helianthus annuus is a species originating in an area between South America and North America.
• Species are grown all over the world. In Italy it is widespread in cultivations, especially in the central north, and present in the spontaneous state as a naturalized exotic plant.
• Its typical habitat is areas near vegetable gardens and abandoned areas, ruderal environments, rural roads and slopes, in both calcareous and siliceous soils with neutral pH and high nutritional values of the soil that must be moderately humid. 
• It is found up to 1500 metres, from above the sea level to the hilly and partly mountainous ones.

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Common Species of Sunflower

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• Southeastern Sunflower (Helianthus agrestis), is a popular plant amongst humans that is used for cosmetic and decorative purposes.
• Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius), attracts a wide variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. The plant serves as a host for the caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot butterfly, among others.
• Cusick's Sunflower (Helianthus cusickii), some Plateau Indian tribes used the roots of cusick's Sunflower to treat erectile dysfunction, wasting, and tuberculosis.
• Silverleaf Sunflower (Helianthus argophyllus), is grown for their daisy-like usually yellow flower heads.

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Floral Formula of Sunflower

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A floral formula is a numerical representation of the several floral components that make up a flower. It is used to denote different floral sections by describing a flower using various signs and symbols.

The Helianthus annuus flower formula is as follows: 

Ca x(0) Co 5 A 5 G 2

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Uses of Sunflower

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• This species is also used as food for livestock as well as for ornamental purposes in domestic gardens.
• Sunflower plants are usually tall, reaching over 9 feet in height. The tallest ever recorded sunflower measured over 30 feet in height.
• Sunflower seeds are also harvested and offered for sale as a common snack in addition to oil. 
• Sunflowers are beneficial to the environment as well since they can remove heavy metals and radioactive particles from the air. 
• The leaves are used as fodder, the flowers yield a yellow dye, and the seeds contain oil and are used for food.
• Sunflower oil cake is used for stock and poultry feeding. 
• The oil is also used in soap and paints and as a lubricant.

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Things to Remember

• The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual herbaceous species belonging to the Asteraceae family.
• Scientific name of the Sunflower is - Helianthus annuus.
• The growth of a sunflower depends strictly on its genetic makeup and background.
• Sunflower seeds are indicated to ensure a good functioning of the intestine and for the prevention of respiratory diseases.
• Before blooming, Helianthus plant heads tilt during the day to face the sun. This movement is referred to as heliotropism, which continues for a short time when flower buds form and young Helianthus heads track the Sun.
• At night, the flower heads reorient their position and face East in anticipation for the sunrise.

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