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The plant

Asteraceae, the family of the sunflower, includes daisies and asters and is the most diverse group of flowering plants in the world. The common sunflower is considered to be native to the central and western USA, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. Regardless of its original range, it can now be found in almost every part of the world that is not tropical, desert, or tundra.

Scent of the flower head

Fresh pollen grains were collected from the capitula in full bloom of two sunflower genotypes, one white-cream and one orange. The white-cream and orange genotypes gave 61 and 62 volatile compounds, respectively. Monoterpene hydrocarbons and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were the main chemical classes of the pollen aroma. Alpha-pinene and sabinene were the dominant volatiles of the pollen. Aliphatic hydrocarbons and their oxygenated derivatives also contributed decisively to the aroma composition. In both genotypes the pollen aroma showed no influence on carotenoid derivatives. Alpha-pinene made up a significant portion of the floral volatiles emitted by most taxa of Helianthus. Floral volatiles show substantial diversity across the genus Helianthus as well as within H. annuus. Among the volatiles released by the flowers, monoterpenoids are the most common, and sesquiterpenoids form a notable share.

Sunflower seed oil

Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of the sunflower. It is primarily composed of linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat, and oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. The refined oil is clear and slightly amber-colored with a slightly fatty odour. The expressed oil has a neutral taste profile. It is used in food as a frying oil and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient.

Growth and pollination

In plants tracking the sun, the east side of the stem grew more rapidly than the west side. At night the west side grew faster. East-facing sunflowers heated up more quickly in the morning than flowers rotated to the west, and attracted five times as many pollinating insects.

Cultivation

As of 2020, Russia and Ukraine together produce over half of worldwide seed production.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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