to add colour and flavour. The flowers are rich in carotenoids, and are thus used to make food and feed pigments. The dried flower petals, ground to a powder, are used in poultry feed to ensure a good colouration of egg yolks and broiler skin, especially in the absence of well-pigmented yellow maize in the feed. This is still in use today, but now usually in the form of an extract which may have advantages of lower transport and storage cost, better stability and better utilization. It is also used to enhance colouring in crustaceans, such as the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Essential oils The essential oil of the flower contains antioxidants. It may be added to perfumes to infuse an apple scent into them. Dye It is used as a natural dye on textiles. Gallery References External links Crops originating from Mexico Edible plants Flora of Mexico Garden plants Medicinal plants Plant dyes Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus erecta