petrushkagoogol Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 Flowers and fruits are dependent on trees... Trees are dependent on good soil... The soil is fertile if there are adequate nutrients... Nutrients are usually in the form of nitrates... Nitrates are dependent on nitrogen fixing bacteria and rain water... Synthesis of nitrates is facilitated by lightning discharges in the atmosphere... Lightning is produced by rain bearing clouds... Rain bearing clouds are dependent on dust and moisture... This requires both evaporation and convection currents... This requires the presence of both hot and cold air... Hot air requires adequate solar radiation... Solar radiation requires our Sun... To cut a long story short flowers need the Sun... (may be that is how the name Sunflower came into being). OR Using integration and logic.. Flowers need sunlight which allows flowering plants to perform photosynthesis ( Phew!!! :-) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKrettin Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 To cut a long story short flowers need the Sun... (may be that is how the name Sunflower came into being). A few seconds googling would tell you that the sunflower (Latin Helianthus) is heliotropic, and that's far more likely to be the etymology. That, or the fact that it looks like the sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exchemist Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 A few seconds googling would tell you that the sunflower (Latin Helianthus) is heliotropic, and that's far more likely to be the etymology. That, or the fact that it looks like the sun.Yes. I was interested to learn that the Italian for sunflower is girasole, meaning it turns with the sun, i.e. heliotropic as you say. And it seems that girasole gave its name, via a corruption, in the ears of English speakers, to the "jerusalem artichoke" - which is the tuberous root of a type of sunflower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKrettin Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 And it seems that girasole gave its name, via a corruption, in the ears of English speakers, to the "jerusalem artichoke" - which is the tuberous root of a type of sunflower. Indeed, and the second word has an interesting Arabic root. Although they are delicious, and taste like globe artichokes, I know from painful experience that eating these things just makes you part of that miracle process of turning energy from the sun plus other things into methane and hydrogen. And they take over the garden. But I might be going off-topic here. exchemist 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exchemist Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 Indeed, and the second word has an interesting Arabic root. Although they are delicious, and taste like globe artichokes, I know from painful experience that eating these things just makes you part of that miracle process of turning energy from the sun plus other things into methane and hydrogen. And they take over the garden. But I might be going off-topic here.Yes, you need to exercise moderation when eating them. Do you know why they induce such flatulence? I must admit I have never looked into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKrettin Posted November 28, 2016 Report Share Posted November 28, 2016 Yes, you need to exercise moderation when eating them. Do you know why they induce such flatulence? I must admit I have never looked into this. I've no idea, but when you are bent double and freezing, because you have to keep the windows open, you are not in the best frame of mind to engage in scholarly research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maine farmer Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 .. Nutrients are usually in the form of nitrates... Well, actually, your are leaving out carbon, phosphates, and potassium, calcium, magnesium,selenium, zinc, and maybe I'm forgetting some, too. Nitrates are, of course the building blocks of proteins, carbon is for cellulose and sugars, and salts and minerals are essential for electrical conductivity to make brains and nervous systems function properly. petrushkagoogol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.