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Desert Sunflower

Flower type: Annual (Stores water in its leaves)

This colossal flower grows up to 8.3 feet (2.5 meters) tall. Its red stem is thin, and the large, violet leaves are spear shaped with jagged edges. Many leaves grow at the base of the stem, and more leaves alternate on the stem from about halfway up, up to the flower head.

A single medium-sized flower sits at the end of each stem. The flowers are 68 cm (26.8 inches) wide, with solid pale yellow petals and a grey central disk. The flower head is largely flat with many widely spaced narrow petals. They detach easily.

It has a fairly strong scent that smells like something putrid, and it has an average amount of pollen. It is pollinated by the wind.

It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles
The entire plant is edible and the grains areoverwhelmingly spicy.