The sunflower

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an yearly plant in the Family Asteraceae with a large flower head (inflorescence). The stem of the flower can grow up to 3 metres high, with the flower head reaching 30cm in diameter. The sunflower is distinguished for turning to face the Sun, a behavior known as heliotropism. The sunflower is the state flower of Kansas.

Sunflowers are native to the Americas, and were cultivated around 1000 B.C. Francisco Pizarro establish the Inca subjects venerating the sunflower as an image of their sun god, and gold images of the "flower" as well as seeds were taken back to Europe near the beginning in the 16th century.