Orange sunflowers in a field with a moody gray sky behind

Image details
Contributor:
Tony Smith / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
D8HDKRFile size:
39.8 MB (2 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
3440 x 4040 px | 29.1 x 34.2 cm | 11.5 x 13.5 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
8 August 2010Location:
Leigh, Lancashire, England, UKMore information:
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 capture 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 fibre which may be used in paper production.