JLHE SUNFLOWER is an American 
plant belonging to the composite family; it is 
somewhat coarse in habit and has large yellow- 
rayed flower heads. Its scientific name is 
Helianthus, but is called by the more familiar 
name “sunflower” because of the assumption 
that it turns its face to the sun. Poets refer to 
it as the “eagle of flowers,” standing and gazing 
on the glory of the noon day sun, and following 
the path of the sun as it moves from east to west. 
There are numerous species of sunflower; some 
are easily grown annuals and others are inter¬ 
esting and decorative perennials. One of the 
common and best known species is the annual 
garden sunflower (Helianthus annuus) which is 
seen widely distributed throughout the United 
States as a weed. In the Ohio, Mississippi and 
Missouri valley the sunflower is conspicuous 
because of its abundance. Under cultivation, 
however, this same plant grows majestically 
from five to ten or more feet high, producing 
flower heads a foot in diameter, the flattened 
disk of which is encircled by rays of gorgeous 
yellow petals that seem to be continually turned 
toward the sun, drawing from it their brilliant 
yellow color. The sunflower is easily cultivated, 
being adapted to a variety of soils and thriving 
well in light places. In southern Europe, Russia, 
India and Egypt the common sunflower is cul¬ 
tivated extensively for its commercial uses. 
Raw seeds from the large seeded variety are 
eaten like nuts and are sold on the streets in 
Russia as we sell peanuts; seeds from the small 
seeded variety are preferred for the manufacture 
of oil. But in the United States and Canada the 
sunflower industry is small; the plant is only 
cultivated for seed, food for cattle and decorative 
purposes. Even in religion the sunflower has 
played a part. Sunworshippers in Peru had 
great esteem for our big sunflower because, to 
them, it was such an unmistakable symbol of 
the great sun. Priestesses in the sun temples 
manifested this esteem by wearing gold emblems 
of the flower. But this manifestation of a 
foreign religion greatly displeased the Spaniards, 
and in their desire to seize the gold emblems they 
put the sunworshippers to death. Here in the 
United States, the sunflower has been honored 
by being adopted as the state 
flower of Kansas. 
