"used the sunflower as the symbol of their solar deity, including the Aztecs and the Otomi of Mexico and the Incas in South America. In 1510 early Spanish explorers encountered the sunflower in the Americas and carried its seeds back to Europe. Of the four plants known to have been domesticated in what is now the eastern continental United States and to have become important agricultural commodities, the sunflower is currently the most economically important. During the 18th century, the use of sunflower oil became very popular in Russia, particularly with members of the Russian Orthodox Church, because sunflower oil"
"Galanthus Galanthus (snowdrop; Greek ""gála"" ""milk"", ""ánthos"" ""flower"") is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. The plants have two linear leaves and a single small white drooping bell shaped flower with six petal-like (petaloid) tepals in two circles (whorls). The smaller inner petals have green markings. Snowdrops have been known since the earliest times under various names but were named ""Galanthus"" in 1753. As the number of recognised species increased various attempts were made to divide the species into subgroups, usually on the basis of the pattern of the emerging"
"Scleranthus annuus Scleranthus annuus is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names German knotweed and annual knawel. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and it is known throughout the rest of the temperate world as an introduced species and a common weed. It grows in many types of habitat, often in disturbed areas. It is an annual herb with low, spreading stems up to 15 centimeters long growing from a taproot. The leaves are needle-like or linear in shape with sharp, stiff points. They are oppositely arranged in pairs about"
"the stem and are fused together at the bases. Flowers occur in pairs or small clusters of up to five. The flowers lack petals but have bell-shaped calyces of green petal-shaped sepals. Scleranthus annuus Scleranthus annuus is a species of flowering plant in the pink family known by the common names German knotweed and annual knawel. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and it is known throughout the rest of the temperate world as an introduced species and a common weed. It grows in many types of habitat, often in disturbed areas. It is an annual herb"
"Handroanthus Handroanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. It consists of 30 species of trees, known in Latin America by the common names poui, pau d'arco, or ipê. The latter sometimes appears as epay or simply ipe (unaccented) in English. The large timber species are sometimes called lapacho or guayacan, but these names are more properly applied to the species ""Handroanthus lapacho"" and ""Handroanthus guayacan"", respectively. The name ""Handroanthus"" was established in 1970, but was not generally accepted. In 1992, its species were included in ""Tabebuia"" in the most recent revision of that genus. ""Handroanthus"" was"
"'turning sun', is also a cognate with 'Jerusalem', as in Jerusalem Artichoke. ""Nuttallii"" is named for Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859), a grower of American plants at Rainhill in Lancashire, though he lived in Long Preston in Yorkshire. ""Parishii"" is named for Samuel Bonsall Parish and William Fletcher Parish, California botanists. Helianthus nuttallii subsp. parishii Helianthus nuttallii subsp. parishii is a subspecies of the species ""Helianthus nuttallii"" in the genus ""Helianthus"", family Asteraceae. It is also known by the common names Los Angeles sunflower and Parish's sunflower. This subspecies has not been seen, in the wild or in cultivation, since 1937. Inhabits"
"Linanthus Linanthus is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the phlox family Polemoniaceae. The species are found in western North America and in Chile, with the greatest diversity in California. The stems are erect, with multiple branches arising directly from the base, and grow 2–15 cm tall. The leaves are stem-like (""cauline"") and opposite, with shapes ranging from entire to palmately lobed, the 3-9 lobes being linear to lanceolate or spatulate. Flowers have a tubular calyx, and the corolla may be funnel- or bell-shaped, or salverform. The genus name is from the Greek for ""flax flower"", the flowers"
"Helianthus niveus Helianthus niveus is a species of sunflower known by the common names showy sunflower and snowy sunflower. It is native to northern Mexico (Sonora, Baja California, Baja California Sur) and the Southwestern United States (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas). ""H. niveus"" is a taprooted annual or perennial sunflower growing to a maximum height over 1 m (40 in). The leaves are oval or lance-shaped, often with irregular lobes or teeth, and are covered in soft, white hairs. The flower heads are fringed with 13-21 bright yellow ray florets up to 2.5 cm (1 in) long"
"Helianthus debilis Helianthus debilis is a species of sunflower known by the common names cucumberleaf sunflower, beach sunflower, weak sunflower, and East Coast dune sunflower. It is native to the United States, where it can be found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. It is known elsewhere as an introduced species, such as South Africa, Australia, Taiwan, Slovakia, and Cuba. This species may be an annual or perennial herb. It is usually perennial but it may last only one season in climates where freezes occur. It can reach 2 meters tall. The stem grows from a taproot and may grow"
"of these results, ""Allenanthus"" is no longer maintained as a separate genus. Allenanthus Allenanthus was a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family but is no longer recognized. It has been sunk into synonymy with ""Machaonia"". ""Allenanthus"" was named by Paul Standley in 1940 in Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was named in honor of Paul Hamilton Allen (1911-1963). Until 2004, two species had been recognized, but fieldwork has shown that there is a continuum of variation between them. Comparisons of morphological characters and DNA sequences have shown that ""Allenanthus"" is embedded in ""Machaonia"". This was confirmed"
"and the recognition of this name is questionable. Because of its popularity, ""Handroanthus"" has often been adopted as a symbol or emblem for nations or other political divisions. The distinction between national flower and national tree is sometimes not entirely clear. Gentry (1992) gives the following information without making that distinction. The genus ""Handroanthus"" was erected by Joáo Rodrigues de Mattos in 1970. It was named for the Brazilian botanist Oswaldo Handro. ""Anthus"" is derived from a Greek word for ""flower"". Most botanists at that time did not agree with the separation of ""Handroanthus"" from ""Tabebuia"". Alwyn H. Gentry objected"
"Actinotus helianthi Actinotus helianthi, known as the flannel flower, is a common species of flowering plant native to the bushland around Sydney. Despite its appearance, it is not a member of the daisy family but rather a species of the Apiaceae (formerly Mackinlayaceae) family, the same family as the carrot. Its generic name, meaning ""furnished with rays"", is derived from the Greek stem ""aktin-""/ακτιν- ""ray"" or ""spoke of a wheel"" or ""sunbeam"", while its specific epithet is derived from its resemblance to the genus ""Helianthus"". An iconic Sydney plant, its floral display has horticultural appeal which has seen limited use"
"Amaranth Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Most of the ""Amaranthus"" species are summer annual weeds and are commonly referred to as pigweed. Catkin-like cymes of densely packed flowers grow in summer or autumn. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple, through red and green to gold. Members of this genus share many characteristics and uses with members of the closely related genus ""Celosia"". ""Amaranth"" derives from Greek (), ""unfading"", with the Greek word"
"Anthoxanthum Anthoxanthum, commonly known as hornwort, vernal grasses, or vernalgrasses (Latinised Greek for ""yellow blossom""), is a genus of plants in the grass family.Jepson Manual Treatment The members of ""Anthoxanthum"" are widespread in temperate and subtropical parts of Africa and Eurasia, with a few species in tropical mountains. Some species have become naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas. ""Anthoxanthum odoratum"" is a common species of acidic grassland and bogs in northern Europe. All the species reportedly contain the compound coumarin, used medicinally in many countries. The genus ""Hierochloe"" is included in ""Anthoxanthum"" by some recent authors. Others, however,"
"Allenanthus Allenanthus was a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family but is no longer recognized. It has been sunk into synonymy with ""Machaonia"". ""Allenanthus"" was named by Paul Standley in 1940 in Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was named in honor of Paul Hamilton Allen (1911-1963). Until 2004, two species had been recognized, but fieldwork has shown that there is a continuum of variation between them. Comparisons of morphological characters and DNA sequences have shown that ""Allenanthus"" is embedded in ""Machaonia"". This was confirmed by a molecular phylogenetic study of the subfamily Cinchonoideae in 2010. Because"
"The scientific name ""heterophyllus"", ""different leaves"", refers to the variation in leaf shape between spiny and entire. The common name holly osmanthus refers to the similarity in leaf shape to that of the holly (""Ilex aquifolium""), an example of convergent evolution with a common objective of deterring browsing; the two may be distinguished easily by the leaf arrangement, alternate in ""Ilex aquifolium"" and opposite in ""Osmanthus heterophyllus"". It is widely used as a hedge plant. Several cultivars have been selected for garden use, including 'Aureus', 'Goshiki', 'Purpureus', 'Rotundifolius', and 'Subangustatus'. The cultivars 'Gulftide' and 'Variegatus' have gained the Royal Horticultural"
"Galanthus nivalis Galanthus nivalis, the snowdrop or common snowdrop, is the best-known and most widespread of the 20 species in its genus, ""Galanthus"". Snowdrops are among the first bulbs to bloom in spring and can form impressive carpets of white in areas where they are native or have been naturalised. They should not be confused with the snowflakes, in the genera ""Leucojum"" and ""Acis"". The generic name ""Galanthus"", from the Greek ""gala"" (milk) and ""anthos"" (flower), was given to the genus by Carl Linnaeus in 1735. He described ""Galanthus nivalis"" in his """" published in 1753. The epithet means ""of"
"naturalised ""G. nivalis""; others have more specialised collections of many species, forms and cultivars. Galanthus nivalis Galanthus nivalis, the snowdrop or common snowdrop, is the best-known and most widespread of the 20 species in its genus, ""Galanthus"". Snowdrops are among the first bulbs to bloom in spring and can form impressive carpets of white in areas where they are native or have been naturalised. They should not be confused with the snowflakes, in the genera ""Leucojum"" and ""Acis"". The generic name ""Galanthus"", from the Greek ""gala"" (milk) and ""anthos"" (flower), was given to the genus by Carl Linnaeus in 1735."
"Selenicereus anthonyanus Selenicereus anthonyanus (also known by its obsolete name, ""Cryptocereus anthonyanus"") is a cactus species native to southern Mexico. It is grown as an ornamental because of its nocturnal flowers and unusual, leaf-like stems. Common names include fishbone cactus, rick rack cactus, zig-zag cactus and St. Anthony's rik-rak, and is sometimes referred to as an orchid cactus. This species is named for Dr. Harold E. Anthony who first flowered this species in June 1950. The former generic name ""Cryptocereus"" (literally, ""hidden cereus"") recalls the fact that the species remained long unknown in a region that had been thoroughly investigated."
"of the global sunflower crop is directly eaten as “nuts” or kernels. There are 82 species of sunflowers (genus ""Helianthus""), all native to North America. Of these, 38 are perennials. Sunflower breeders have crossed many of these species with the crop sunflower because they are a source of useful genes. Perennial sunflowers survive the winter by storing food in underground freezing-tolerant stems called rhizomes. Rhizomes enable a plant to spread into new territory. Tubers are storage organs and are modified rhizomes. Native Americans domesticated the wild perennial sunflower ""Helianthus tuberosus"" by selecting individuals with larger tubers. This crop plant (now"
"Dianthus Dianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species extending south to north Africa, and one species (""D. repens"") in arctic North America. Common names include carnation (""D. caryophyllus""), pink (""D. plumarius"" and related species) and sweet william (""D. barbatus""). The species are mostly herbaceous perennials, a few are annual or biennial, and some are low subshrubs with woody basal stems. The leaves are opposite, simple, mostly linear and often strongly glaucous grey-green to blue-green. The flowers have five petals, typically with a"
"Amaranthus caudatus Amaranthus caudatus is a species of annual flowering plant. It goes by common names such as love-lies-bleeding, pendant amaranth, tassel flower, velvet flower, foxtail amaranth, and quilete. Many parts of the plants, including the leaves and seeds, are edible, and are frequently used as a source of food in India and South America – where it is the most important Andean species of ""Amaranthus"", known as kiwicha. (see also Amaranth seed and Andean ancient plants) This species, as with many other of the amaranths, is originally from the American tropics. The exact origin is unknown, as ""A. caudatus"""
"(Jacq.), this was the first ""Haemanthus"" to be introduced to European horticulture as an ornamental plant. In cultivation in the UK, ""H. coccineus"" has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. It can be grown outdoors in a warm, frost-free, sheltered, south-facing location. Despite Linnaeus' description, this same species was described under a host of different names (see gallery captions), which reflects more on taxonomic disorganisation than species variability. The plant figured on the left, was first described as ""Haemanthus hyalocarpus"" by Jacquin in 1804, and those in the gallery below, which are all ""H. coccineus"", were first"
"superficially resembling those of flax. The genus has recently been split, with many of the species formerly included now transferred to the genus ""Leptosiphon"" (Jepson Manual). Linanthus Linanthus is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the phlox family Polemoniaceae. The species are found in western North America and in Chile, with the greatest diversity in California. The stems are erect, with multiple branches arising directly from the base, and grow 2–15 cm tall. The leaves are stem-like (""cauline"") and opposite, with shapes ranging from entire to palmately lobed, the 3-9 lobes being linear to lanceolate or spatulate. Flowers"
"aureus"", whereas more modern sources classify it as ""Vigna radiata"". Similarly, the snail bean ""Vigna caracalla"" was discovered in 1753 and in 1970 moved from ""Phaseolus"" to ""Vigna"". The modern understanding of ""Phaseolus"" indicates a genus endemic only to the New World. ""Phaseolus"" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including common swift, garden dart, ghost moth ""Hypercompe albicornis"", ""H. icasia"" and the nutmeg. The generic name ""Phaseolus"" was introduced by Linnaeus in 1753, borrowed from the Latin ""phaseolus"" a combination of ""phasēlus"" and the diminutive suffix ""-olus"", in turn borrowed from Greek φάσηλος"
"of their fynbos habitat to clear undergrowth in order to flower. The genus ""Haemanthus"" was created in 1753 by Linnaeus. The name is derived from Greek words αίμα, ""haima"" and ανθος, ""anthos"", meaning ""blood flower"". In 1838 the eccentric Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, placed ""H. pubescens"" in a new genus ""Leucodesmis"", ""H. coccineus"" in ""Perihema"", and ""H. carneus"" in ""Serena"". The troubled English botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury (1761–1829) in his 1866 posthumous publication 'Genera of Plants', placed ""H. amarylloides"" under ""Melicho"" and ""H. albiflos"" under ""Diacles"". The genus was illustrated in Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin's description of the rarities in the"
"it was dubbed in the old classification system as ""Rhus Sinese foliis alatis"". There are extant records from the 1750s of disputes over the proper name between Philip Miller and John Ellis, curator of Webb's garden in Busbridge. Rather than the issue being resolved, more names soon appeared for the plant: Jakob Friedrich Ehrhart observed a specimen in Utrecht in 1782 and named it ""Rhus cacodendron"". Light was shed on the taxonomic status of ailanthus in 1788 when René Louiche Desfontaines observed the samaras of the Paris specimens, which were still labelled ""Rhus succedanea"", and came to the conclusion that"
"Homalanthus Homalanthus is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1824. It is the only genus in subtribe Carumbiinae. The genus is native to tropical Asia, Australia, and various islands in the Pacific. When published, the generic name was spelt as ""Omalanthus"". Since the name comes from the ancient Greek word ""homalos"" meaning ""smooth"" and ""anthos"" meaning ""flower"", this original spelling was inconsistent with the general Greek transliteration rules, and many later authors changed it to ""Homalanthus"". According to ICBN, ""Homalanthus"", which can be found in its Appendix III, has now been conserved against"
"bulbs, each producing around four to six linear leaves and one to three spikes or racemes of flowers. In the wild species, the flowers are widely spaced with as few as two per raceme in ""H. litwinovii"" and typically six to eight in ""H. orientalis"", which grows to a height of . Cultivars of ""H. orientalis"" have much denser flower spikes and are generally more robust. The genus name ""Hyacinthus"" was attributed to Joseph Pitton de Tournefort when used by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It is derived from a Greek name used for a plant by Homer, (), the flowers"
"of the United States and has already evolved resistances to dinitroaniline herbicides and acetolactate synthase inhibitors. This makes the proper identification of ""Amaranthus"" species at the seedling stage essential for agriculturalists. Proper weed control needs to be applied before the species successfully colonizes in the crop field and causes significant yield reductions. An evolutionary lineage of around 90 species within the genus has acquired the carbon fixation pathway, which increases their photosynthetic efficiency. This probably occurred in the Miocene. Amaranth Amaranthus, collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants. Some amaranth species are cultivated"
"in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, and thus the species bears his name as the botanical authority. Later the plants collected by Elwes were found to actually be ""G. gracilis"" but the name was retained for a different specimen. The species is named in honour of Henry John Elwes. A native of the Caucasus, the species has been widely introduced. ""G. elwesii"" is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens where they easily naturalise. Bulbs planted in the autumn flower in the early spring. Propagation is by separation of bulbils after flowering. Galanthus elwesii Galanthus elwesii (Elwes's snowdrop, greater snowdrop) is one"
"Leucas cephalotes The flowering annual herb Leucas cephalotes is a common weed which also has uses as an edible vegetable and herbal remedy. It has many common names, including guma, dronpushpi or drona puspi, and tou xu bai rong cao. It is a common plant across Asia from China to the Indian subcontinent. ""L. cephalotes"" springs up in cultivated fields as a weed, especially after a period of rain. It is collected for use as a leafy vegetable in rural areas. It is cultivated itself for its medicinal uses and is readily available in markets. One of the plant's most"
"many authors grouped several other ""Desmanthus"" under the circumscription of ""D. virgata"", including ""D. pubescens"", ""D. pernambucanus"", ""D. glandulosus"" and ""D. leptophyllus"". Desmanthus virgatus Desmanthus virgatus is a species of flowering plant in the legume family that is known by many common names, including wild tantan, prostrate bundleflower, dwarf koa, desmanto, acacia courant, acacia savane, pompon blank, adormidera, brusca prieta, frijolillo, ground tamarind, guajillo, guashillo, huarangillo, langalet, petit acacia, petit cassie, petit mimosa, virgate mimosa, and slender mimosa, as well as simply desmanthus. It is native to the American tropics and subtropics but is present elsewhere as an introduced species."