SAFFLOWER (Carthamus tinctories) (2n=24)

Safflower is an important oil seed crop of India. The oil is edible but best used in industry

particularly in the manufacture of paints and varnishes. It is also used for its reddish dye called

carethamine extracted from florets oil is excellent source of unsaturated fatty acid. Oil content is

32 per cent of which above 72 per cent is Linoleic the factor which reduces the blood chotesterol.

It belongs to the family compositeae

Origin: Africa and Afghanistan

Distribution

Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, USA, Egypt middle east in India, Maharashtra, Andhra

Pradesh, Karnataka together accounts for more than 90 per cent of country’s area

Progenitor Carthamus oxycantha

C. lunatus

Related species : The wild species Carthamus oxycanthus is found in many parts of Punjab. It is a

dwarf bushy plant, very spiny, forming small achenes. The oil content is 15 to 16 percent.

 

 

Classification of safflower :

Safflower can be grouped in to two broad categories.

1. The outer involucral bracts spinose, lanceolate mainly cultivated for oil. Flowers yellow in colour.

2. Involucral bracts moderately spined or spineless which are cultivated mostly for the dye than the

spiny types. Flowers orange in colour.