News Plants Sunflower genes don’t fit pattern By Susan Milius August 20, 2002 at 10:12 am - More than 2 years ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to print (Opens in new window) Print From Madison, Wis., at a meeting of the Botanical Society of America WILD VS. NOT. Wild sunflowers (left) form smaller seeds and release them sooner than crop plants (right) do. Burke; J. Rick Comparison between crop and wild sunflower genes suggests that the plant followed an easy route to domestication.