The sunflower is a species of herbaceous plant, its stem grows up to 3 m tall, straight, covered with hard hairs. The leaves are oval heart, dark green up to 40 cm long, covered with hard, short and swollen hairs. The flowers of large diameters 30-50 cm, during the day turning towards the sun (only young plants).
Inside the flower there are 4 stamens with fused anters. They form a flower on a stem, but it encounters additional small growths.
Sunflower is a symbol of unity, justice, prosperity and sunlight. In some countries, even a symbol of peace.
Sunflowers are collected by special devices - reamers. It grows in separate rows between 40 and 50 cm. Cleaning requires care and experience - if it is not put in line, the stem will simply break and the harvest will decrease.
The main thing in sunflower is the seeds. For your sake and cultivate this very fertile plant. From a seed grows a whole flower, in which about 3,000 of the same seeds. Sunflower seeds are consumed raw, fried, extracted from them oil, which is called - sunflower.
Today, it is very common to be an agricultural crop. At this time they have already raised a large number of sunflower varieties, which differ in the oil content and the size of the baskets (flowers).
From the edge the dried flowers and leaves make a tincture, which increases the appetite. The infusion of border tongue flowers is used as an antipyretic agent.
In leaves and flowers there are kumarin glycoside, escopholine, flavonoids, triterpene saponides, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenophophilic acids.
In sunflower seeds there are linoleic, oleic, other unsaturated acids, amino acids, as well as vitamin E and magnesium. At the same time, the latter is much more than rye bread.
Sunflower oil is used not only in cooking, but also as a treatment. The oil is taken internally - as a mild laxative, and externally, rubbing it with sore joints. Fresh seeds are taken with bronchitis, malaria and allergies.
Sunflower is the main honey plant, as bees collect a large amount of honey and sunflower pollen. Depending on the agroengineering of the crops and the climate, the honey is equal to within 13-25 kg per hectare, nectar 45-79%. In some areas 40 - 50 kg per hectare. Sunflower honey has a golden color, sometimes with a slight greenish touch.
