3 Review(s)

Sunflower: Sunflower, Helianthus annuus, is an herbaceous annual plant in the family Asteraceae, grown for its seeds. The plant has a thick, hairy, erect stem which gives rise to a large flower head. The plant has large, broad lower leaves which are oval and arranged alternately on the stem and smaller, narrower upper leaves which are attached individually to the stem. The flower head is a large disc reaching 10–30 cm (4–12 in) in diameter which is made up of 16–30 individual florets which are yellow-gold in color. The outer florets are sterile and produce the outer petals of the flower head, while the inner florets will mature into the seeds in the central disc. Sunflowers are annual plants, harvested after one growing season and can reach 1–3.5 m (3.3–11.5 ft) in heig ht. Sunflower may also be referred to as girasole and originates from North America. Kochia: Kochia (Kochia scoparia (L.) Roth), also known as fireweed, burning bush or summer cypress, was introduced to the United States around 1900 as an ornamental from Eurasia. Gardeners like this annual plant for its bright red foliage in autumn. Farmers in dry areas, including the Southwest, have grown kochia as a drought-resistant forage crop on lands where other crops are difficult to grow -- hence the nickname "poor man's alfalfa." Because of kochia's low water requirements and resistance to diseases and insects, interest in it as a forage crop has increased in the last decade. Researchers at South Dakota State College have selected seeds from wild plants and produced satisfactory yields of leafy foliage. Kochia, with its high protein content, requires relatively large amounts of nitrogen (100 to 250 lb/acre). If too much nitrogen is applied at once, however, toxic levels of nitrate may accumulate in the plants. Oxalate toxicity, which causes rough hair, humpback, jaundice, photosensitization and a stiff gait in livestock, is another potential problem for cattle that graze only on kochia for periods of 90 to 120 days. Kochia grows wild throughout most of the northern half of the United States, except for parts of the Pacific Northwest. The plant has become a serious drought-resistant weed in the Plains states. Because of the wide genetic variability in wild kochia, it is possible that the problems associated with the plant as a forage crop can be overcome with plant breeding. Gaillardia: These are annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, sometimes with rhizomes. The stem is usually branching and erect to a maximum height around 80 centimeters. The leaves are alternately arranged. Some taxa have only basal leaves. They vary in shape. They are glandular in most species. The inflorescence is a solitary flower head. The head can have 15 or more ray florets, while some taxa lack any ray florets. They can be almost any shade of yellow, orange, red, purplish, brown, white, or bicolored. They are sometimes rolled into a funnel shape. There are many tubular disc florets at the center of the head in a similar range of colors, and usually tipped with hairs. The fruit usually has a pappus of scales.