Sunflower heads consist of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base. For a wider view of this location see >
Link.
The term "sunflower" is used to refer to all plants of the genus Helianthus; the term is derived from Helios, who was the Greek god of the sun. Sunflowers originate from the Americas from where they were introduced to Europe in the 16th century and primarily used as a decorative plant until the mid-1900s, since when they are being cultivated in Russia as an oil crop. The stem of some varieties can grow as high as 3 metres, and the flower head can reach 30 cm in diameter.
Sunflower seeds can be eaten raw, cooked, roasted, or dried and ground for use in bread or cakes, and the seeds and the roasted seed shells can be used as a coffee substitute. The oil extracted from the plant is used for cooking and soap making. The flower is said to yield a yellow dye.