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1. Descriptive essay on sunflowers - sample 1
Sunflower is an annual plant belonging to the Asteraceae family with large flower heads. The sunflower stalk can reach up to 3 meters, and the diameter of the flower head is 30 cm. Sunflowers are a symbol of Kansas and one of the emblematic flowers of Kitakyushu City, Japan.
Originating from the Americas, sunflowers were cultivated by humans around 1000 BCE. Francisco Pizarro discovered that the Inca people worshipped sunflowers, seeing them as representations of their Sun deity. The golden color of the flower also resembled the seeds brought to Europe before the 16th century. The name 'sunflower' comes from the Greek words 'Helianthus.' This term is also used to refer to all plants belonging to the Helianthus genus, many of which are perennial.
The so-called flower head is actually a composite inflorescence, consisting of individual flowers clustered together. The outer flowers, called ray florets, can be yellow, dark brown, orange, or other colors. These ray florets are sterile. The inner flowers form a circular arrangement inside the ray florets and are called disk florets. The disk florets are spiral in arrangement, with each floret tilting towards the next at approximately the golden angle, creating a pattern of interconnecting spirals, where the number of left and right spirals are consecutive Fibonacci numbers. On a mature sunflower, one can observe 89 spirals in one direction and 144 in the other.
As the disk florets mature, they develop into what is commonly referred to as 'sunflower seeds.' However, these 'seeds' are actually a type of fruit (cypsela), with the actual seeds located inside the inedible husk. Young sunflowers, in their bud stage, exhibit heliotropism (following the sun). When the sun rises in the morning, most flowers face east. Throughout the day, on sunny days, the buds move from east to west, returning eastward during the night. This movement is facilitated by specialized cells in the stem, a flexible section just below the bud. As the bud stage ends, the stem becomes rigid, and when the flower blooms, it no longer exhibits heliotropism, even though many flowers still face east.
Wild sunflowers do not exhibit heliotropism. Their mature flower heads point in any direction. However, the leaves show some heliotropic tendencies. Sunflowers thrive best in full sunlight and well-drained, moist soil. Seeds should be planted about 45 cm apart, with a sowing depth of 2.5 cm.
Sunflower seeds are sold as fast food, especially in China, the United States, Europe, and used as bird feed. These seeds are also used for cooking and making salads. Sunflower oil, extracted from sunflower seeds, is used as cooking oil (although it is not as heart-healthy as olive oil) and is often processed into biodiesel, with sunflower oil production being cheaper than olive oil. The remaining seed material is processed into meal for animal feed. Some recent sunflower varieties have been developed with drooping heads. While these sunflower varieties may be less attractive for ornamental purposes, they are appealing to farmers as they reduce damage from birds and diseases to crops. There are also genetically modified sunflower varieties resistant to certain diseases. Sunflowers are also a source of latex, and they are a test crop for improving their suitability as a rubber substitute with low allergenicity.
Sunflowers, always facing the sun, symbolize deep loyalty and fidelity. This flower represents belief and hope in love, always turning towards the brightest thing.
