Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius L. - Bioversity International

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24 Safflower. Carthamus tinctorius L. Fig. 8. Infected heads with sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in base of heads (reprinted with permission from Mündel et al. 1992).
Promoting the conservation and use of underutilized and neglected crops. 7. 3 Uses and world distribution 3.1 Uses 3.1.1 Historical In Egypt, dye from safflower was used to colour cotton and silk as well as ceremonial ointment used in religious ceremonies and to anoint mummies prior to binding. Safflower seeds and packets and garlands of florets have been found with 4000year-old mummies (Weiss 1971). The oil was used as an unguent and for lighting. By the 18th century, Egyptian safflower dye was used in Italy, France and Britain to colour cheese and flavour sausage. According to Weiss (1971), safflower has been used in the Middle East, India and Africa for purgative and alexipharmic (antidote) effects, as well as in a medicated oil, to promote sweating and cure fevers. Florets were widely used to colour and flavour soups and rice as well as cloth, potions and unguents. Safflower was used as a pot herb and as a laxative (De Materia Medica Dioscorides, cited by Weiss 1983). The 10th century Arab pharmacist, Mesua (cited by Chavan 1961), distinguished the safflower of India from the plant of the same name around Baghdad, which is recognizable from his drawing as C. tinctorius. Safflower was retained in the European pharmacopoeia until recently, but seldom prescribed as a specific remedy (Weiss 1983). The Japanese pharmacopoeia details use of safflower (Weiss 1971). Safflower dyes were particularly important to the carpet-weaving industries of eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Carthamin dye was used extensively to colour cloth until the 19th century, when cheaper aniline dyes became available. Hebrew writings since the 2nd century AD have described the use of tablets of carthamin dye for food colouring, rouge and medicine (Weiss 1983). 3.1.2 Whole plants A tea made from safflower foliage is used to prevent abortion and infertility by women in Afghanistan and India (Weiss 1983). All parts of the plant are sold by herbalists in India and Pakistan as ‘pansari’ to remedy various ailments and as an aphrodisiac (Knowles 1965). Young leaves and thinnings are eaten boiled, as a vegetable side dish with curry or rice in India, Pakistan and Burma. Until this century, soot from charred safflower plants was used to make kohl, the Egyptian cosmetic (Weiss 1983). Safflower can be grazed or stored as hay or silage. The forage is palatable and its feed value and yields are similar to or better than oats or alfalfa (Smith 1996; Wichman 1996). On the Great Plains of North America, the crop remains green after other crops have matured. Tests in India show that seed production from a ratooned crop is possible. Safflower straw is used similarly to cereal straws. Two or three rows of safflower around a cereal field can help keep free-ranging cattle out of the grain (Chavan 1961). 25
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Safflower, Carthamus tinctorius L. - Bioversity International

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