[Objective] The identification of HaYABBY gene related to flower development in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is conductive to exploring its biological function and regulatory mechanism in the floral development of sunflower, and to provide important molecular clues for sunflower variety breeding. [Method] Based on sunflower genome database and our transcriptome data, bioinformatics analysis was conducted to analyze the physicochemical properties, chromosome localization, phylogenetic relationship, gene structure, conserved motif, protein structure, promoter cis-action regulatory element, and tissue expression pattern, etc. RT-qPCR was used to analyze the differences of HaYABBY gene expression between WT sunflower and cb1 (crazy broccoli 1) mutant with the defection of meristem determinacy and floral organ differentiation at st2-st8. [Result] Twelve members of YABBY family were identified, belonging to 4 subfamilies, and located in 8 chromosomes; meanwhile, the members in the same subfamily shared similar gene structure and conserved motifs. Results of tissue expression pattern showed that 8 members presented high expressions during flower development in sunflower, including HaYABBY1a, HaYABBY1c, HaYABBY3, HaYABBY4b, HaYABBY5a, HaYABBY5b, HaCRABS CLAWa, and HaCRABS CLAWb, among which HaYABBY3, HaYABBYY5a, and HaYABBYY5d expressed with up-regulation at the late stages of flower development in cb1 mutant; while the expression of HaYABBYY4b and HaCRABS CLAWa was strongly inhibited in cb1 mutants, corresponding to their expressions at early floral developmental in WT plants. The analysis of cis-regulatory elements showed that all the HaYABBY members contained multiple promoter cis-acting elements, some acting elements only existing in specific genes. Among them, endosperm expression elements were presented in HaCRABS CLAWa and HaYABBY4a. Auxin responders were in HaCRABS CLAWa, HaCRABS CLAWb, HaYABBY4a, HaYABBY4b and HaYABBY5c. Meristem expression elements existed in HaYABBY1a, HaYABBY1c, HaYABBY4b, HaYABBY5a, and HaYABBY5d. Gibberellin response elements were included in HaCRABS CLAWa, HaYABBY5b, HaYABBY5c, and HaYABBY5d. Seed-specific regulatory elements presented in HaYABBY5a, HaYABBY5c, and HaYABBY5d. [Conclusion] Five HaYABBY genes of HaYABBY3, HaYABBY4b, HaYABBY5a, HaYABBY5d and HaCRABS CLAW play important roles in the process of floral meristem transformation and floral organ formation in sunflower, and they might depend on the regulation of auxin, gibberellin and meristem expression related regulators during meristem transformation and floral organogenesis, and need the involvement of the auxin response factor ARFs, gibberellin response factor MYBs and flower organ development regulator MADS-boxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]