Sunflower Study 1

by Bruce Bley

Title

Sunflower Study 1

Artist

Bruce Bley

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

This capture of a sunflower was taken on a drive in the country side near my home this past summer. I enjoy taking macro shots like this illustrating the interesting patterns nature has to offer plus the various values in nature.

Helianthus L. (sunflower) is a genus of plants comprising about 52 species] in the Asteraceae family, all of which are native to North America. The common name "sunflower" also applies to the popular annual species Helianthus Annuus. This and other species, notably Jerusalem artichoke (H. tuberosus), are cultivated in temperate regions as food crops and ornamental plants.

The genus is one of many in the Asteraceae that are known as sunflowers. It is distinguished technically by the fact that the ray flowers, when present, are sterile, and by the presence on the disk flowers of a pappus that is of two awn-like scales that are cauducous (that is, easily detached and falling at maturity). Some species also have additional shorter scales in the pappus, and there is one species that lacks a pappus entirely. Another technical feature that distinguishes the genus more reliably, but requires a microscope to see, is the presence of a prominent, multicellular appendage at the apex of the style.

There is quite a bit of variability among the perennial species that make up the bulk of the species in the genus. Some have most or all of the large leaves in a rosette at the base of the plant and produce a flowering stem that has leaves that are reduced in size. Most of the perennials have disk flowers that are entirely yellow, but a few have disk flowers with reddish lobes.

I hope you have enjoyed this photograph, You can see more of my work on my homepage. Thank you for visiting and please come back.

Uploaded

February 15th, 2016

Statistics

Viewed 652 Times  -  Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/24/2024 at 7:44 PM

Colors

Embed

Share

Sales Sheet

Tags