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Glite Dictionary
Helianthus annuus

Helianthus annuus

5.7
A tall plant with large yellow flowers that makes seeds for food and oil
  • noun
  • /ˌhɛliˈænθəs ˈænjuəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : girasol
  • The bright yellow flowers of Helianthus annuus attract pollinators and enhance the beauty of gardens.
  • Helianthus annuus (sunflower)

Examples

  • Annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are a very important world oilseed crop.

    Blog text (1)

  • Even though avian damage to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a worldwide economic issue, several of the current methods used to reduce sunflower damage were developed and tested in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Farmers grow Helianthus annuus to produce sunflower oil, which is used in cooking and food preparation.

  • Annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are a very important world oilseed crop.

Synonyms

sunflower
vsHelianthus annuus
46 1.0

A tall plant that has a large yellow flower head and seeds you can eat

is the formal scientific label rather than the common name
common sunflower
vsHelianthus annuus
1.6

A tall plant with a large yellow flower and seeds that people eat or use for oil

is the scientific name used in formal classification

Surface Forms

Helianthus annuus singular
Helianthus annui singular

Morphology

helianthus + annuus

This is a compositional Latin binomial: 'Helianthus' identifies the sunflower genus and 'annuus' means 'annual' (occurring yearly). A learner who knows both constituent meanings can directly infer 'annual sunflower' (the common sunflower), so the name is transparent rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Helianthus annuus comes from old words meaning 'sun' and 'flower', and 'annuus' means 'yearly'. Sunflowers often turn to face the sun, so this name gives a clear picture of a sun-loving, one-year plant commonly grown for seeds and oil.