Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus
Safety & Hazards
The growing plant can accumulate nitrates, especially when fed on artificial fertilizers[ 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. ]. The pollen or plant extracts may cause allergic reactions[ 222 Title A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Publication Author Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Co. Year 1990 ISBN 0395467225 Description A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties. ].
Botanical Description
Helianthus annuus is a vigorous, erect, usually unbranched annual plant that can grow from 1 - 3 metres or more tall according to the variety. It usually produces a single, large flower head at the top of the stem. Sunflower is a major commercial crop, grown widely in the tropical to warm temperate zones for its edible, oil-rich seed. The plant also has a very wide range of other, mainly local, uses including a source of medicines, fibre, dyestuff, green manure[ 1 Title RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Publication Author F. Chittendon. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1951 ISBN - Description Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]). , 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. ]. A very ornamental plant, it is widely grown in gardens in temperate to tropical areas of the world[ 302 Title Tropical Ornamentals; A Guide Publication Author Whistler. W. Arthur. Publisher Timber Press Inc. Oregon. Year 2000 ISBN 0-88192-448-2 Description An excellent little guide to some of the more commonly cultivated ornamental plants of the Tropics, often giving some information on the plants other uses. ].