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. A range of sunflower varieties exist with differing fatty acid compositions;
some 'high oleic' types contain a higher level of healthy monounsaturated fats in
their oil than Olive oil.
The rose was sacred to Venus (mythology). Venus was the Roman goddess of
love and beauty. It was also linked with Cupid. He was the Roman god of desire -
in one myth, he dropped nectar and the nectar bubbled up from the ground as roses.
The rose was also sacred to Bacchus. He was the Roman god of wine.
Tulips are spring-blooming perennials that grow from bulbs. Depending on
the species, tulip plants can be between 4 inches (10 cm) and 28 inches (71 cm)
high. The tulip's large flowers usually bloom on scapes with leaves in a rosette
at ground level and a single flowering stalk arising from amongst the leaves.Tulip
stems have few leaves. Larger species tend to have multiple leaves. Plants typically
have two to six leaves, some species up to 12. The tulip's leaf is strap-shaped,
with a waxy coating, and the leaves are alternately arranged on the stem; these
fleshy blades are often bluish green in color. Most tulips produce only one flower
per stem, but a few species bear multiple flowers on their scapes (e.g. Tulipa turkestanica).
The generally cup or star-shaped tulip flower has three petals and three sepals,
which are often termed tepals because they are nearly identical.
Petunia is a genus in the family Solanaceae, subfamily Petunioideae. Well
known members of Solanaceae in other subfamilies include tobacco (Nicotianoideae),
and the cape gooseberry, tomato, potato, deadly nightshades and chili pepper (Solanoideae).
Some botanists place the plants of the genus Calibrachoa in the genus Petunia, but
this is not accepted by others. Petchoa is a hybrid genus derived from crossing
the genetically similar Calibrachoa and Petunia.
Most morning glory flowers unravel into full bloom in the early morning.
The flowers usually start to fade a few hours before the "petals" start showing
visible curling. They prefer full solar exposure throughout the day, and mesic soils.
Some morning glories, such as Ipomoea muricata, are night-blooming flowers. In some
places, such as Australian bushland, some species of morning glories develop thick
roots and tend to grow in dense thickets. They can quickly spread by way of long,
creeping stems. By crowding out, blanketing and smothering other plants, morning
glory has turned into a serious invasive weed problem.
Viola typically have heart-shaped, scalloped leaves, though a number have
palmate leaves or other shapes. The vast majority of Viola species are herbaceous,
and a substantial number are acaulescent in habit - meaning they lack any noticeable
stems and the foliage and flowers appear to rise from the ground; the remaining
species have short stems with foliage and flowers produced in the axils of the leaves.
The simple leaves of plants with either habit are arranged alternately; the acaulescent
species produce basal rosettes. Plants always have leaves with stipules that are
often leaf-like.
Lilies are tall perennials ranging in height from 2–6 ft (60–180 cm). They
form naked or tunicless scaly underground bulbs which are their overwintering organs.
In some North American species the base of the bulb develops into rhizomes, on which
numerous small bulbs are found. Some species develop stolons. Most bulbs are deeply
buried, but a few species form bulbs near the soil surface. Many species form stem-roots.
With these, the bulb grows naturally at some depth in the soil, and each year the
new stem puts out adventitious roots above the bulb as it emerges from the soil.
These roots are in addition to the basal roots that develop at the base of the bulb.
Jasmines can be either deciduous (leaves falling in autumn) or evergreen
(green all year round), and can be erect, spreading, or climbing shrubs and vines.
Their leaves are borne opposite or alternate. They can be simple, trifoliate, or
pinnate. The flowers are typically around 2.5 cm (0.98 in) in diameter. They are
white or yellow in color, although in rare instances they can be slightly reddish.
The flowers are borne in cymose clusters with a minimum of three flowers, though
they can also be solitary on the ends of branchlets. Each flower has about four
to nine petals, two locules, and one to four ovules. They have two stamens with
very short filaments. The bracts are linear or ovate. The calyx is bell-shaped.
They are usually very fragrant. The fruits of jasmines are berries that turn black
when ripe.
The leaves of Hibiscus are alternate, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed
or lobed margin. The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five or
more petals, color from white to pink, red, orange, purple or yellow, and from 4–18
cm broad. Flower color in certain species, such as H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus,
changes with age. The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds
in each lobe, which are released when the capsule dehisces (splits open) at maturity.
It is of red and white colours. It is an example of complete flowers.
Flowering stalks of Edelweiss can grow to a size of 3–20 cm (in cultivation,
up to 40 cm). Each bloom consists of five to six small yellow clustered spikelet-florets
(5 mm) surrounded by fuzzy white "petals" (technically, bracts) in a double star
formation. The flowers bloom between July and September.
Dahlia is a genus of the uplands and mountains, being found at elevations
between 1,500 and 3,700 meters, in what has been described as a "pine-oak woodland"
vegetative zone. Most species have limited ranges scattered throughout many mountain
ranges in Mexico.
The Narcissi are perennial herbaceous geophytes which grow from pale brown-skinned
spherical bulbs with pronounced necks, and reach heights varying from 5-80 cm depending
on species. Dwarf forms include N. asturiensis which reaches 5-8 cm, while N. italicus
may grow as high as 80cm. The leafless stems, appearing from early to late spring
depending on the species, bear from 1 to 20 blooms. Stem shape depends on the species,
some are highly compressed with a visible seam, while others are rounded. The stems
are upright and located at the centre of the leaves. It is hollow in the upper portion
but towards the bulb is more solid and filled with a spongy material. In a few species
such as N. hedraeanthus the stem is oblique.