The purple fruit hanging directly on the vine is sunflower, an annual twining herb.

There are two kinds of nightshade: green-stem nightshade and red-stem nightshade. All of them are lianas, with smooth stems, fleshy, hairless and strong branching, up to several meters long. The stems of Malva glabra are green and white, and the stems of Malva glabra are purple and red.

Simple leaves alternate, entire, without stipules. Red-stemmed sunflower with green or purplish red leaves; The leaves of green mallow are green. The leaves are heart-shaped, suborbicular or ovoid-lanceolate, and the tip is pointed or acuminate. Generally, there are 4~5 pairs of lateral veins, and the petiole length is 1~3 cm, and a few of them can reach 3.5 cm. Spike axillary, 5~20 cm long. Flowers apetalous, 5 sepals, lavender to reddish, lower part white, or whole calyx white. There are 5 stamens, 3 styles, and the base is United. Flowering period is June 6~ 10/October. The fruit is a berry, ovoid and 5~ 10 mm in diameter. The pulp is purple and juicy. The seeds are spherical and purplish red, with a diameter of 4~6 mm and a 1000-grain weight of about 25 grams.

Sunflower is a high-temperature and short-day crop, which likes warmth and is not cold-resistant. The optimum temperature for growth and development is 25~30℃. The initial temperature of germination and emergence is 65438 05℃. As long as there is no water shortage, it can still grow and develop normally at a high temperature above 35℃. Its heat resistance and moisture resistance are strong, and it still grows well in high temperature and rainy season. So it is safe to spend the summer in all parts of China. Most areas grow vigorously in high temperature and rainy season, which is an important anti-season vegetable in the rainy season of July, August and September in the south of the Yangtze River.

Sunflower fruit

Sunflowers have high nutritional value. Every 1 kg edible part contains protein17g, 2 grams of fat, 3 1 g of carbohydrate, 2.05g of calcium, 290mg of phosphorus, 22mg of iron, 45.5mg of carotene, 0/0mg of nicotinic acid/kloc and 0.05mg of vitamin C.

Sunflowers feed on tender stems and leaves, which can be fried, scalded or cooled. Its taste is crisp and refreshing, like fungus, and it has a unique flavor.

The whole plant can be used as medicine. Seeds and leaves are sweet, slightly sour, cold and slippery, and have the effects of dissipating heat, diuresis, moistening human face, clearing heat and cooling blood.

Sunflower leaves are green, stems are red, flowers are red and fruits are purple. Coupled with climbing growth, it can be used for fence cultivation, with three-dimensional greening effect and great ornamental value.