Aztec Sun

Aztec Sun

The common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a large annual forb of the genus Helianthus grown as a crop for its edible oil and seeds. This sunflower species is also used as wild bird food, as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), in some industrial applications, and as an ornamental in domestic gardens. The plant was first domesticated in the Americas. Wild H. annuus is a widely branched annual plant with many flower heads. The domestic sunflower, however, often possesses only a single large inflorescence (flower head) atop an unbranched stem. The binomial name Helianthus annuus is derived from the Greek Helios 'sun' and anthos 'flower', while the epithet annuus means 'annual' in Latin. Sunflower seeds were brought to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, where, along with sunflower oil, they became a widespread cooking ingredient.

Update this biography »
Complete biography of Aztec Sun »