Bathing in the Sun #8
by Bruce Bley
Title
Bathing in the Sun #8
Artist
Bruce Bley
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
This photograph was taken on a morning walk through my community this past summer. I enjoy taking macro photographs illustrating the detail of the subject . The seeds of the sunflower will be used for feeding birds in the area and for growing new sunflowers next summer. I hope you have enjoyed this photograph and will share it with others. You can see more of my work on my homepage in the various galleries I have created. Thank you for visiting and please come back.
The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head), and its name is derived from the flower's shape and image, which is often used to depict the sun. The plant has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves, and circular flower heads. The heads consist of many individual flowers which mature into seeds, often in the hundreds, on a receptacle base. From the Americas, sunflower seeds were brought to Europe in the 16th century, where, along with sunflower oil, they became a widespread cooking ingredient. Leaves of the sunflower can be used as cattle feed, while the stems contain a fiber which may be used in paper production.
What is usually called the "flower" on a mature sunflower is actually a "flower head" (also known as a "composite flower") of numerous florets (small flowers) crowded together. The outer petal-bearing florets (ray florets) are sterile and can be yellow, red, orange, or other colors. The florets inside the circular head are called disc florets, which mature into seeds
The flower petals within the sunflower's cluster are always in a spiral pattern. Generally, each floret is oriented toward the next by approximately the golden angle, 137.5, producing a pattern of interconnecting spirals, where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. Typically, there are 34 spirals in one direction and 55 in the other; on a very large sunflower there could be 89 in one direction and 144 in the other. This pattern produces the most efficient packing of seeds within the flower head.
Sunflowers commonly grow to heights between 1.5 and 3.5 m (5-12 ft.). The tallest sunflower confirmed by Guinness World Records is 8.0 m (2009, Germany). In 16th-century Europe the record was already 7.3 m (24 ft., Spain). Most cultivars are variants of H. annuus, but four other species (all perennials) are also domesticated. This includes H. tuberosus, the Jerusalem Artichoke, which produces edible tubers.
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February 22nd, 2014
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Comments (28)
Bruce Bley
Robert, I am grateful for the feature in the group "Your Very Best Photography". I sincerely appreciate the honor.
Luther Fine Art
Congratulations! Your fantastic photographic art has been chosen as a Camera Art Group feature! You are invited to archive your work in the Features Archive discussion as well as any other discussion in which it would fit
Bruce Bley replied:
Thank you so much for the feature in the group "Camera Art", Pam. I sincerely appreciate the honor.
Bruce Bley
David, I am grateful for the feature in the group "Midwest America Photography. Thank you for the honorl
Dawn Currie
Bruce, Congratulations! Your exceptional photographic artwork has been featured in our group, Artistic Photography! You are invited to archive it in the 2019 Artistic Photography Featured Work Archive discussion thread for more visibility.
Bruce Bley replied:
Dawn, I want to thank you for the feature in the group "Artistic Photography". I sincerely appreciate the honor. Thank you again
Bruce Bley
Judy, I want to thank you for the feature in the group "USA Photographers ONLY". I appreciate the honor.
Bruce Bley
John, Thank you for the feature in the group "Images That Excite You". I sincerely appreciate the honor.
Bruce Bley
Doug, I want to thank you for the feature in the group "Macro Marvels". I appreciate it very much.
Bruce Bley
Doug, Thank you so much for the feature in the group "Cano Full Frame Cameras". I sincerely appreciate it.
Bruce Bley
Julie, Thank you again for the feature in the group "Your Story of Art". I sincerely appreciate it.
Bruce Bley
Romuald, I want to thank you for the feature in the group "Arts Fantastic World". I sincerely appreciate it.
Bruce Bley
Kim, I am grateful for the feature in the group "Floral Photography and Art". I truly appreciate the honor.
Bruce Bley
Robyn, Thank you so much for the feature in the group "Flowers". I sincerely appreciate it.
Marsha Heiken
Bruce,This is a real Macro. It gives me a real knowing of what a Sunflower looks like,Great work! Marsha FL
Bruce Bley
Brooks, I am so grateful that "Bathing Sunflower" is your choice for the Pick-of-the-Week in Sunflower Power. Thank you for the honor. I sincerely appreciate it.
Brooks Garten Hauschild
Congratulations, Bruce! Your beautiful 'bathing' sunflower is my Pick-of-the-Week in Sunflower Power! Enjoy the spotlight until the same time next Sunday. L/v. Your flowers are terrific!
Bruce Bley
Lorainek Photographs, Thank you for the feature in the group "Textures and minimal, close ups". I sincerely appreciate the honor.
Patricia Keller
Fantastic capture. Love the detail and color. L/F/G/T
Bruce Bley replied:
Thank you for the wonderful comment and promos, Patricia. I sincerely appreciate it.
Bruce Bley
Thank you for the feature in the group "Macro Photography Group", Neal. I sincerely appreciate it.
Bruce Bley
Thank you again for the feature in the group "Loving VAN GOGH", jrr.. I truly appreciate it.
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