General Question

Ltryptophan's avatar

Are sunflowers mimicking the way the sun looks?

Asked by Ltryptophan (12091points) February 17th, 2022 from iPhone

Is the name just given for the superficial similarity of sunflowers to the sun?

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9 Answers

raum's avatar

Besides looking like a sun,
they also follow the path of the sun.
(Heliotropism.)

Mimicking implies it’s changing its appearance to copy the appearance of the sun (like a chameleon). Which sunflowers do not.

SEKA's avatar

Look at the ancient hieroglyphs where the sun was represented by a circle with spikes protruding from it. That is more or less what a sunflower looks like. Originally they were yellow in color — once again replicating the sun

elbanditoroso's avatar

Quite the opposite. The coloring is meant to provide an inviting ‘target’ to insects (bees, etc.) that will land, pick up drop off pollen, allowing for the spread and future generations of the sunflower. The flowers are essentially shaped as they are to make it easy and attractive for the insects to land.

It’s sort of similar to malke peacock plumage, which attracts female peacocks in order to breed. It’s all about survival of the species.

KRD's avatar

The follow the sun.

nightwolf5's avatar

The color, the pedals and style. They certainly remind me of the sun. My sister loves and collection all things sunflowers, which I help her to get. :)

Patty_Melt's avatar

The reason they are called sunflowers has nothing to do with appearances. There are many different kinds of sunflowers. The one thing they have in common is they are sun worshippers.
As pointed out by @raum, they turn toward the sun. The bloom turns toward our solar source. That is the inspiration for their name.

kruger_d's avatar

Young stems/leaves follow the sun for photosynthesis. Mature heads face east, I suppose one could say to greet the morning sun.

KRD's avatar

By the way if anyone wants to see wild flowers you can take a drive through the high planes late spring to mid summer.

kritiper's avatar

There is no reason.

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