The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native
to the Americas.
It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head), and its name is
derived from the flower's shape and image, which is often used to depict the
sun. The plant has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves,
and circular flower heads.
The heads consist of many individual flowers which mature into seeds, often in
the hundreds, on a receptacle base. From the Americas, sunflower seeds were brought to Europe in the 16th
century, where, along with sunflower oil,
they became a widespread cooking ingredient. Leaves of the sunflower can be
used as cattle feed, while the stems contain a fiber which may be used in paper production.
