Sunflower

helianthus annuus. When Francisco Pizarro in 1532 fought his way into Peru, he found there the giant sunflower, venerated by the Indians of the Inca empire as the sacred image of their sun god. Incan priestesses, the maidens of the sun, wore on their breasts large sunflower disks made of virgin gold. These disks became the most highly treasured spoils of the Spanish conquistadores. Sunflower seeds were also sacred food to the Plains Indians of the prairie regions of North America. They placed ceremonial bowls filled with sunflower seeds on the graves of their dead for food to sustain them on their long and dangerous journey to their Happy hunting grounds

Restrictions Only for Ireland and United Kingdom

Annuus Asteraceae Helianthus Plantae Sunflower

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