The vulgar sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ) is an annual that can accomplish towering heights of up to 10 feet . There is more intrigue to this plant than just its height , however . The many uses and characteristic of the various plant life parts make it an appealing addition to any garden or landscape .
Structural Support
The support organization for a sunflower lies in the roots and chaff of the plant . sunflower have a taproot that is impregnable and can break through hard dirt , providing the tall plant a much - need ground tackle . Roots are also responsible for for absorbing piddle and minerals , which are sent up through the stalk to the rest of the works . The hardy stalking provides the stabilitythe great flower headneeds to remain good and a structure to house the leave of absence . Within the straw is a system of channel that transport water , mineral and sugars throughout the works . dry stalks can be used for livestock feed once the salad days have end up their show .
Leaves and Buds
magnanimous , green leaves grow out of the sunflower stock and are responsible for the absolute majority of the energy - producing photosynthesis for the flora . The foliage blade is the flattened area and contains small haircloth . The petiole is the thin stemlike piece of music that attach the leaf to the stalk . On the common annual sunflower , a bud develops at the terminal of the still hunt and turns to confront the sunshine throughout the day . Once the flower opens , this repositioning stops and the prime persist open to the east .
Disk Flowers
sunflower are known ascompositeflowers . The large heyday fountainhead at the top of the stalk is often referred to as one flower but is actually hundreds of small flowers . The dark shopping mall is made up of disk flowers that have five brown petal fused together into a tube-shaped shape . The male person , stamen , and female , mark , are both present in disk blossom . The stamen is frame of filum and pollen - producing anthers . The mark houses the style , which have the pollen and appropriate it to travel down to the ovary , where the unfertilized seed , ovules , are place . This is the procedure of pollination that enables the flowers to produce seed . Sunflower seeds are a common bite for humans and wildlife . Seeds can be saved and planted the next yr to produce a new crop of sunflowers .
Ray Flowers
The outer rope of the helianthus head — typically yellow — is mistakenly cite as the petal of the efflorescence . In fact , these yellow pieces are individual ray flowers . They do not have reproductive parts and accordingly will not bring on seed . Ray flowers are more crucial in their role of attracting pollinator to the disk flower and providing the aesthetic appeal of the plant .
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