How many of these alternative names for sunflowers have you heard of?

Alternative names for the sunflower

The sunflower is an annual herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, with alternative names such as "chaoyanghua" (flower facing the sun), "wangrilian" (lotus gazing at the sun), and "taiyanghua" (sun flower). The sunflower's place of origin is South America, and it is currently cultivated in Europe, Russia, China, and other parts of the world.

Morphological characteristics of the sunflower

The sunflower's stem is a thick, upright stem, overall round with multiple angles, and covered with thick white stiff hairs.

The sunflower's leaves are generally alternate, generally ovate or heart-shaped ovate, with rough hairs on both sides of the leaf blade.

The sunflower's inflorescence is a very large head, borne singly at the end of a branch or at the top of the stem, and usually drooping when open.

The sunflower's fruit is an obovate or ovate-oblong achene, namely the "sunflower seed", with a lignified pericarp that is black or gray.

Growth habits of the sunflower

Sunflowers can be planted in all four seasons, with summer and winter being best. Sunflowers grow very quickly, generally taking only about 2 months from planting to flowering, and the longest flowering period is about two weeks or more.

Value and uses of the sunflower

Edible value: because the sunflower's seeds contain a large amount of oil, they have very high edible value, and it is a very good oil crop, suitable for both oil pressing and stir-frying.

Medicinal value: many parts of the sunflower plant can be used as medicine, with various effects such as clearing heat and resolving phlegm, dispelling wind and detoxifying, and draining dampness and relieving pain.

Purification value: the sunflower has a greening function of repairing soil, and its root system, while absorbing nutrients, can also extract harmful pollutants from the soil.

The flower language of the sunflower

The sunflower's first symbolic meaning is "the sun", and it also has other meanings such as "adoration" and "silent love".