distaff thistle
Carthamus tinctorius L.
Carthamus tinctorius L., commonly known as distaff thistle, is an herbaceous annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is cultivated for its seeds, which are used to produce vegetable oil. The plant grows 30 to 150 cm tall, with globular flower heads in yellow, orange, or red. It is native to arid regions with seasonal rainfall and features a deep taproot that allows it to thrive in such conditions. The species is distributed across various regions including Alberta, British Columbia, Açores, Madeira, and parts of Europe, Turkey, Russia, Chile, and others. The name was first published in 1753.
Description
Carthamus tinctorius is a member of the Asteraceae family and is known for its commercial use in the production of vegetable oil from its seeds. The plant is highly branched and thistle-like, with each branch typically bearing one to five flower heads. Each flower head contains 15 to 20 seeds. The species is adapted to arid environments and has a deep taproot. It is one of the oldest cultivated crops and is commonly referred to as safflower or false saffron. The scientific name was first described by Linnaeus in 1753. A type illustration was later designated by Hanelt, but it was not part of the original protologue.
Other common names
Safflowerdyer's-saffronfalse saffrondistaff thistlesaffron thistle
Distribution
Alberta · British Columbia · Saskatchewan · Açores · Madeira · Portugal Continental · Flores Island · Graciosa Island · Madeira Island · Porto Santo island · TR · RU · CL · HR · IE · Belgium · Brussels-Capital Region · Flemish Region · Walloon Region · France · The Netherlands · Great Britain · GB · PT · MX · DK · UZ · FR · GR · AR
Synonyms
Calcitrapa tinctoriaCarthamus tinctorius var. tinctoriusCentaurea carthamusCarthamus glaberCarduus tinctoriusCarthamus tinctorius var. albusCarthamus tinctorius var. spinosusCarthamus tinctorius var. flavusCarthamus tinctorius var. croceusCarduus tinctoriusCalcitrapa tinctoria
