Concept in Definition ABC

It is a herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae. Its scientific name is Helianthus annuus. It is popularly known as sunflower, but other names are also used: mirasol, sunflower or tile corn. It is an annual plant that is used for the culture, but also for ornamentation or forage.

Its root is between four and eight centimeters long. It has a single green stem that measures between two and five centimeters in diameter and is close to two meters high. The leaves are heart-shaped and have a texture rough. The dried fruit they possess is called achene

Other data of interest

It has been cultivated for thousands of years in the American continent, especially in the territory from Mexico. Like many other crops, it reached Europe in the seventeenth century. From the 19th century, the industrial exploitation of its oil began. It is currently grown in countries with a weather tempered

Regarding its uses, the most prominent are the following: to manufacture crude and refined oil, as a by-product destined for the

feeding animal or as a substance used in the agrochemical industry.

They are mostly yellow in color, but brown or orange sunflowers are also marketed.

In classical Greek mythology, this plant represents the sun and love. It is worth remembering that the nymph Clitia had fallen in love with the god of the Sun (Helios) and during the day she did not stop watching him closely. When Clitia learned that Helios had fallen in love with a princess, she could not suppress her jealousy and got Helios's lover punished. The nymph's vengeful attitude was severely repressed, as the gods decided to turn her into a sunflower.

Its seeds are very beneficial as food

The pipes can be consumed with or without salt. It is a dried fruit from which oil is obtained that we use to season food. The nutritional benefits of seeds are very diverse:

1) containing fatty acids reduces the risk of circulatory, heart or vascular problems,

2) as they contain potassium and magnesium, they are beneficial as food supplements for athletes,

3) the magnesium and phosphorus they contain promote brain activity,

4) strengthen the immune system and prevent some viral diseases,

5) reduce sensation tired and

6) improve the appearance of the skin.

Why do they turn towards the sun?

The sun moves every day from east to west and east movement determines the position of the sunflowers. In this way, when the sun disappears at the end of the day, this flower turns to the east again, as if it were waiting for the first rays of the sun the next day. This phenomenon has a specific scientific name, phototropism. The variable position occurs when the plant is young, since when it matures it leaves the sunflower and remains in a fixed position.

Phototropism is, simply put, the ability of a plant to follow a beam of light.

This function occurs because the sunflower has receptors (phototropins) that activate the hormone auxin, which causes the stem to rotate in the direction of sunlight.

Fotolia photos: Doc Rabe / Kazakova Maryia

Sunflower themes