Gj. Seiler et Me. Brothers, Oil concentration and fatty acid composition of Achenes of Helianthus species (Asteraceae) from Canada, ECON BOTAN, 53(3), 1999, pp. 273-280
The cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is one of the four most import
ant annual crops in the world grown for its edible oil. Species of the genu
s Helianthus served as the ancestral stock for the present cultivated sunfl
ower. The wild relatives are a valuable genetic reservoir for improving the
crop species. This study examined oil concentration and fatty acid composi
tion in oil of two annual Helianthus species (31 populations) and four pere
nnial species (32 populations) from the prairie provinces of Canada. The hi
ghest average oil concentration was observed in annual H. petiolaris with 3
1.3%. Among the perennials, H. maximiliani Schrad. had the highest average
oil concentration with 31.1%. Helianthus tuberosus L. had the highest avera
ge palmitic (16:0) acid concentration with 8.0%, while the lowest value was
observed ii? H. petiolaris with 4.0%. The highest average stearic (18:0) a
cid concentration was found in H. annuus with 2.9%, while H. petiolaris had
the loll,est with 2.3%. The highest average oleic acid (18:1) was observed
in H. petiolaris (18.4%), and the highest linoleic (18:2) was observed in
H, maximiliani (77.4%). The variability within the wild species appears to
be sufficient Sor altering oil and fatty acid characteristics in cultivated
sunflower.