Do Sunflowers Have Bracts?

The large head of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus). The darker center of the head is composed of hundreds of disk flowers, each with an immature achene at the base. The disk is surrounded by yellow, petal-like ray flowers and leaflike bracts called phyllaries.

What are sunflower bracts?

The bracts of composite flowers such as daisies and sunflowers are the green parts underneath that hold the disk and ray flowers to the stem. The flowers of grasses and grains have inner bracts called the palea and outer bracts called the lemma.

Do sunflowers have pistils?

Sunflower ray florets are missing both stamen and pistil, making them sterile. Sunflower disc florets are perfect flowers and create fruit when fertilized. That fruit is sunflower seed.