helianthus

American  

[hee-lee-an-thuhs] / ˌhi liˈæn θəs /

noun

helianthuses plural

1. any composite plant of the genus Helianthus, comprising the sunflowers.

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helianthus British  

/ ˌhiːlɪˈænθəs /

noun

1. any plant of the genus Helianthus, such as the sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke, typically having large yellow daisy-like flowers with yellow, brown, or purple centres: family Asteraceae (composites)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• helianthaceous
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• helianthuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of helianthus

From New Latin, dating back to 1770–80; see origin at heli- ¹, -anthous

Example Sentences

Sprays of helianthus dripped yellow pollen along the front gate.

From Washington Post • Sep. 3, 2021

Another gap can be plugged in late summer with the planting of the helianthus species — the hardy, perennial cousins of the giant sunflower and the wood aster.

From Washington Post • Apr. 27, 2021

This valley has magnificent pasturage, hay not yet "sun cured," long grass, and abundant clover and vetches brightened by a profuse growth of a small helianthus.

From Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume II (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)

That which a pink the layman deems Dianthus caryophyllus seems   To any flower-fan; or A sunflower, in that talk of his, Annuus helianthus is,   And it is nothing more.

From Tobogganing on Parnassus by Adams, Franklin P. (Franklin Pierce)

If it was a bee, we should find some of his companions roaming about among the blossoms of the helianthus.

From The Desert Home The Adventures of a Lost Family in the Wilderness by Reid, Mayne