Economically Important Sunflowers

Several species of sunflowers are of economic importance. Below is a list of species that have a widespread use in society. Many more species of Asteraceae of narrow distribution, especially in tropical regions, are used locally for various medicinal and food purposes. The economic importance of many species of sunflowers is yet to be fully explored. For more information concerning the domestication of sunflowers the reader is advised to consult Dempewolf et al. (2008).

Oils

Niger seed oil, Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass.,
Safflower oil, Carthamus tinctorius L.,
Sunflower oil, Helianthus annuus L.,

Food

Artichoke, Cynara cardunculus L.,
Endive, Cichorium endivia L.,
Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus L.,
Lettuce, Lactuca sativa L.,
Mexican tarragon, Tagetes lucida Cav.,
Radicchio, Cichorium intybus L.,
Salsifi, Tragopogon porrifolius L.,
Sunflower seeds, Helianthus annuus L.,
Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus L.,

Ornamentals

Black-Eyed Susans, Rudbeckia hirta L.,
Chrysanthemums, Chrysanthemum
Dahlias, Dahlia coccinea Cav., Dahlia pinnata Cav.,
Echinaceas, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Echinacea paradoxa, (Norton) Britton
Marigolds, Tagetes erecta L.,
Santolinas, Santolina,
Zinnias, Zinnia angustifolia Kunth, Zinnia peruviana (L.) L., Zinnia violacea Cav.,

Medicinal

Anti-malarial, Artemisia annua L.,
Chamomile tea, Matricaria recutita L.,
Echinacea tea, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench,

Industrial

Absinthe, alcoholic beverage flavoring, Artemisia absinthium L.,
Insecticides (pyrethrins and cinerins), Tanacetum
Orange dye, Tagetes erecta L., Tagetes patula L.,
Orange dye, Carthamus tinctorius L.,
Rubber, Guayule, Parthenium argentatum A. Gray,
Sweetener, Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni,

References

Dempewolf, H, L. H. Rieseberg, and Q. C. Cronk. 2008. Crop domestication in the Compositae: a family-wide trait assessment. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol. (in press).

About This Page

Jose L. Panero
University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Jose L. Panero at

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