Orange sunflowers in a field with a moody gray sky behind

• Contributor: Tony Smith / Alamy Stock Photo
• Image ID: D8HDKR
• File size: 39.8 MB (2 MB Compressed download)
• Releases: Model - no | Property - no
• Dimensions: 3440 x 4040 px | 29.1 x 34.2 cm | 11.5 x 13.5 inches | 300dpi
• Date taken: 8 August 2010
• Location: Leigh, Lancashire, England, UK

More 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.