Helianthus annuus
Helianthus annuus, the common sunflower, is a large annual forb of the genus "Helianthus" grown as a crop for its edible oil and edible fruits. This sunflower species is also used as wild bird food, as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), in some industrial applications, and as an ornamental in domestic gardens. The plant was first domesticated in the Americas. Wild "Helianthus annuus" is a widely branched annual plant with many flower heads. The domestic sunflower, however, often possesses only a single large inflorescence (flower head) atop an unbranched stem. The name "sunflower" may derive from the flower's head's shape, which resembles the sun.