Carthamus tinctorius
| Safflower | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Carthamus |
| Species: | C. tinctorium |
| Binomial name | |
| Carthamus tinctorium | |
Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius, is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the sunflower family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies along the Rio Grande as a substitute for saffron. Plants are 30 to 150 cm (12 to 59 in) tall with globular flower heads having yellow, orange, or red flowers. Each branch will usually have from one to five flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head. Safflower is native to arid environments having seasonal rain. It grows a deep taproot which enables it to thrive in such environments.
English
Etymology
From Middle French safleur; originally from Arabic أَصْفَر (ʾaṣfar, “yellow”) but influenced by safran (“saffron”) and fleur (“flower”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈsæfˌlaʊə(ɹ)/
Noun
safflower (plural safflowers)
- A cultivated thistle-like plant, Carthamus tinctorius, family Asteraceae, now grown mainly for its oil.
Synonyms
- bastard saffron
