Sta.sh
Sunflower     :thumb136163707:     :thumb100253610:           :thumb142928729:  :thumb96580830: :thumb136674688: :thumb93346590:    :thumb131368286:      :thumb131581379:      Description What is usually called the flower is actually a head of numerous florets crowded together. The outer florets are the sterile ray florets and can be yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors. The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets, which mature into what are traditionally called "sunflower seeds," but are actually the fruit of the plant. The inedible husk is the wall of the fruit and the true seed lies within the kernel. Heliotropism Sunflowers in the bud stage exhibit heliotropism. At sunrise, the faces of most sunflowers are turned towards the east. Over the course of the day, they follow the sun from east to west, while at night they return to an eastward orientation. Sunflowers in their blooming stage lose their heliotropic capacity. The stem becomes "frozen", typically in an eastward orientation. Cultivation and uses To grow well, sunflowers need full sun. They grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with a lot of mulch. In commercial planting, seeds are planted 45 cm (1.5 ft) apart and 2.5 cm (1 in) deep. Sunflower "whole seed" (fruit) are sold as a snack food, after roasting in ovens, with or without salt added. Sunflowers can be processed into a peanut butter alternative, Sunbutter. In Germany, it is mixed together with rye flour to make Sonnenblumenkernbrot (literally: sunflower whole seed bread), which is quite popular in German-speaking Europe. It is also sold as food for birds and can be used directly in cooking and salads. Sunflower oil, extracted from the seeds, is used for cooking, as a carrier oil and to produce margarine and biodiesel, as it is cheaper than olive oil. Sunflowers may also be used to extract toxic ingredients from soil, such as lead, arsenic and uranium. They were used to remove uranium, cesium-137, and strontium-90 from soil after the Chernobyl disaster . Legend According to Greek mythology, there was once a water-nymph, who fell in love with Apollo, the God of the Sun. She was so in love with him that she sat on the ground and stared up at the sun all day long. Apollo never noticed her. The other gods, however, took pity on the young girl and turned her into the sunflower. This is why the sunflower forever follows the path of the sun in the sky. Other facts • The sunflower is the state flower of the US state of Kansas, and one of the city flowers of Kitakyushu, Japan. • The sunflower is often used as a symbol of green ideology. The sunflower is also the symbol of the Vegan Society. During the late nineteenth century, the flower was used as the symbol of the Aesthetic Movement. • Subject of Van Gogh's most famous still life, Sunflowers (series of paintings) • The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. More info here: [link] and here [link]  News article here: [link] Fact by ~nicolehg Photos by : *Ingelore ~1Elevin1 =Ailedda ~Anonymous-Caribou ~BelaBoosMim ~Catrinel-Cotae ~craziedartist ~cwebster *dansch ~dreadedhippie ~emilianna12 ~flame-of-nyx ~Joanine *keldbach ~mariaper ~nicolehg !owasephi69 ~poetcrystaldawn *Portokali !PurpleLotusPhotos =rosaarvensis ~SilivrenTinu ~SilveR-PrinceSS *Subaru7 !theshinyrock *Tribal-Berry *Tuesdaysangel *vxside *WitchOfNature ___________ For more flower-facts, click here. |
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