Sunflower - Sunflower

Japanese: ヒマワリ - ひまわり

A general term for the genus Helianthus in the Asteraceae family. Annual or perennial herbs. Usually the entire plant is covered with coarse bristles. The flower heads are solitary or in sparse umbels on long pedicels. About 160 species are known, mainly in North America, and are used as ornamental plants in flower beds, as cut flowers, or in pots. The sunflower ( H. annus L.) is a cold-tolerant annual native to North America. It is also known by its English name, sunflower, and is also known as Nichirinsou (sunflower) or Higuruma (sunflower). It has a thick, single, upright stem that reaches a height of 1 to 3 meters. The upper part of the stem branches out, and at the tip it produces a large flower measuring 10 to 40 centimeters in diameter. There are many varieties and varieties, including the double-flowered Sungold, the double-flowered dwarf Yellow Pygmy, and the Taiyo and Kuroryu varieties that are often used as cut flowers. In addition to being used for decoration, it is also important for its oil production and for livestock feed. It grows vigorously, and seeds are sown in nurseries between March and May, and the seedlings are then either grown and transplanted, or directly sown between April and May.

In recent years, the little sunflower , H. debilis Nutt., often cultivated under its scientific name Helianthus, is a cold-intolerant annual native to Florida and Texas in the United States. It is smaller than a sunflower, growing 1-2 meters tall. It blooms from July to September, with flowers measuring 6-8 centimeters in diameter. The flower center is brownish purple and the ray florets are yellow. It is good for cut flowers and flower beds. It is easier to cultivate than a sunflower; direct sowing 4-5 seeds at a time with 30 centimeters between each plant in a sunny location, then thinning them out later. When planting in the garden, pinch the top off once.

[Uomori Shoichi]

Cultural history

Spanish physician Nicolás Monardes brought it from the New World to the Royal Botanical Gardens of Spain between 1564 and 1571, and it spread throughout Europe. It was first seen in China half a century later in the "Left Hand Book of Flowers" (1616) under the name "Jo-giku". It was also introduced to Japan under that name, and in the "Kinmō Zui" (1666) there is a description of it along with an illustration: "Jo-giku, commonly called Tengaikuwa (canopy flower), also known as Geiyokuwa (welcoming sunflower)". Kaibara Ekiken gives the Japanese names Hifu-ga-afuhi (sunflower) and Kaujitsu-afuhi (sunflower) in his "Kafu" (1694), but writes in his "Yamato Honzō" (Yamato Herbal Medicine) 15 years later that it is "also called Himahari". The name Himawari (sunflower) also appears in Ito Sannojo's Kadan Chikinsho (1695). Therefore, it seems that the name Himawari (sunflower) spread around the Genroku period (1688-1704). The name arose from the idea that the flowers rotate with the movement of the sun. In Kafu, Masunobu only wrote that the flowers "face the sun," but in Yamato Honsho he wrote that they "rotate with the sun." When the sunflower is in bud, it turns its head toward the sun, and during the night it turns from west to east. This movement slows down when the petals turn yellow, and after flowering, many of them stop moving and face east. However, the same genus, H. argophyllus Torr. et Gray, has been observed to rotate with the movement of the sun even after flowering.

[Hiroshi Yuasa]

Sunflower
The stem is thick and upright, reaching a height of 1-3m. In addition to being used for decoration, it is also important for its oil production and as livestock feed. There are many horticultural varieties and varieties. Also known as Nichirinsou (Sunflower) and Higuruma (Sunsha). ©Seishohmaru ">

Sunflower

Sunflower flower
In summer, large flowers measuring 10-40cm in diameter bloom at the tip of the upper stem. The surrounding ray florets are yellow. There are also double-flowered varieties. ©Seishohmaru ">

Sunflower flower

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

キク科ヒマワリ属の総称。一年草または多年草。普通、全株粗剛毛に覆われる。頭花は長花柄上に単生、またはまばらな散形花序をなす。北アメリカを中心に約160種知られ、花壇、切り花、または鉢植えにして観賞する。ヒマワリ（向日葵）sun flower／H. annus L.は北アメリカ原産の不耐寒性一年草。英語名のサンフラワーの名でよばれることもあり、別名ニチリンソウ（日輪草）、ヒグルマ（日車）ともいう。茎は太くて単幹直立し、高さ1～3メートルに達する。茎上部を分枝し、先端に径10～40センチメートルの大輪花を開く。品種、変種が多く、八重咲きのサンゴールド、八重咲きで矮性(わいせい)種のイエローピグミー、切り花に多く用いられる太陽、黒竜などがある。観賞用のほか、採油用または家畜用飼料としても重要視される。生育は旺盛(おうせい)で、3～5月に苗床に播種(はしゅ)し、苗を育てて移植するか、4～5月に直播(じかま)きする。

　近年、学名のヘリアンサスの名でよく栽培されるコヒマワリH. debilis Nutt.はアメリカ、フロリダからテキサス原産の不耐寒性一年草。ヒマワリよりは小形で、高さ1～2メートル。7～9月、径6～8センチメートルの花を開く。花芯(かしん)は褐紫色で舌状花は黄色である。切り花、花壇用によい。栽培はヒマワリより容易で、日当りのよい所に30センチメートルの株間で4、5個ずつ直播きし、のちに間引く。庭植えは、1回摘芯(てきしん)する。

［魚躬詔一］

文化史

スペインの医師ニコラス・モナルデスによって1564～71年の間に、新大陸からスペイン王立植物園にもたらされ、ヨーロッパに広がった。中国ではその半世紀後の『花史左編』（1616）に丈菊(じょうぎく)の名で初見する。日本にもその名で伝わり、『訓蒙図彙(きんもうずい)』（1666）には図とともに「丈菊、俗に言ふてんがいくわ（天蓋花）、一名迎陽花(げいようくわ)」の記述がある。貝原益軒(えきけん)は『花譜(かふ)』（1694）では、ひふがあふひ（日向葵）、かうじつあふひ（向日葵）の和名をあげるが、15年後の『大和本草(やまとほんぞう)』には「日マハリとも言ふ」と書いている。また伊藤三之丞の『花壇地錦抄(ちきんしょう)』（1695）にも日廻(ひまわ)りの名が出ている。したがって、元禄(げんろく)（1688～1704）のころにヒマワリの名は広がったらしい。その名は、太陽の動きに花がついて回るとみられたことからおこった。益軒は、『花譜』では花が「日に向ふ」としか記していないが、『大和本草』では「日につきて回る」と述べている。ヒマワリはつぼみの間は太陽の方向に花首を向け、夜の間に西から東に向きを変える。その運動は花弁が黄色く色づくころから鈍り、開花期後、多くは東を向いたまま動かなくなる。しかし同属のシロタエヒマワリH. argophyllus Torr. et Grayは、開花後も太陽の動きにつれて回転することが観察されている。

［湯浅浩史］

ヒマワリ

ヒマワリの花

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