Safflower - Search results

Botanical name: Carthamus sp.

Common names: Safflower, Carthamine, Sallflower, Beni, Chimichanga

Family: Asteraceae

Origin: India to China

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Close

Safflower is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant. Carthamus tinctorius is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds. Plants are 12 to 59 in tall with globular flower heads having yellow, orange, or red flowers.

Botanical names: Strobilanthes flaccidifolius, Strobilanthes cusia

Common names: Assam Indigo, Chinese Rain Bell, Pink Strobilanthes, Vein Leaf Acanthus

Family: Acanthaceae

Origin: South Asia

Impressively statured herbaceous shrub with thickened veins and bright pink flowers. Very showy and useful plant. The leaves contain 0.4 - 1.3% indican, which can be hydrolyzed and oxidized to produce the classic Blue Indigo Dye. A dark Blue dye is obtained from the twigs. It is combined with Turmeric (Curcuma longa) to make Green, and with Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) to make Purple. The source of famous dye Assam Indigo, it was formerly cultivated on quite a large scale as a dye plant in China and India. Fresh juice from the leaves is used on Okinawa Island, Japan as a popular remedy for athlete's foot.

See Article about this plant: Strobilanthes, Chinese Rain Bell - a source of Blue, Green, and Purple.