86 Sunflower Helianthus annuus 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 depict the sun. The plant has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads of flowers. 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. 36616 Sunflower 86.jpg image/jpeg 111070 2012-04-20T09:41:21Z 92 Herbs and Spices Oilseed crops Type 1 2011-02-09T00:37:19Z 2019-05-14T18:04:16Z false specific 4232 true FOOD00086