Most gardeners give little thought to the structure of a plant. It plays an important role in the prosperity of sunflowers, which are part of the daisy family. It ensures that the sunflower receives the optimal light and nutritional conditions.
How is a sunflower structured?
The structure of a sunflower consists of the root, stem, leaves and flower head. The flower consists of brown tubular flowers in the middle and colored ray florets on the edge. The plant follows the sun (heliotropism) and its tubular flowers are arranged in a spiral to receive optimal sunlight.
Stem, leaves, flower, root
A sunflower is made up of the following parts:
- Root
- Tribe
- Leaf
- flower head
The sunflower consists of a short to very long, hairy stem, depending on the size of the variety, on which large heart-shaped leaves grow alternately.
The flower develops one or more flower heads that have their own structure.
The root also plays a big role because it ultimately determines that the sunflower can absorb enough nutrition. The more the sunflower root can spread, the larger the stem, leaves and flowers become.
Structure of the flower
The sunflower blossom is something very special because it is made up of different parts.
In the middle of the flower head are the small tubular flowers, which are usually brown, and from which the seeds later develop.
The colored petals on the edge are ray florets. They give the sunflower its characteristic appearance. They are often yellow, but can also be red and orange, such as the “Evening Sun” sunflower.
Flowers and leaves depend on the sun
The flowers and leaves follow the path of the sun on sunny days. This is known in technical language as heliotropism.
The reason for the “rotation” is that the plant grows faster in the shaded areas than in those that receive direct sunlight. This means that the flower heads and the leaves are always directed in the direction of the sun.
Only when the older flowers and leaves have become too firm do they no longer rotate with the sun.
The “Golden Angle”
The sunflower flower has another special feature. The brown tubular flowers are arranged in a spiral shape. This means that each small tubular flower receives optimal sunlight. Gardeners call this structure of the sunflower blossom the “golden angle”.
Tips & Tricks
Even though the sunflower is non-toxic, only the seeds are used in the kitchen. The remaining parts of the plant absorb pollutants from the soil and are therefore not suitable for consumption.
