Dyer’s-saffron (Carthamus tinctorius, Sp. Pl.: 830 (1753))

Family: Asteraceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 830 (1753)

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Carthamus

Vegetable: False

Observations: C. & E. Türkiye to Iran

Description

Dyer’s-saffron, scientifically known as Carthamus tinctorius, is a remarkable and versatile plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. Originally described in the seminal work “Species Plantarum” in 1753 by the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus, it holds a prominent place both historically and geographically.

Native to a region extending from Central and Eastern Turkey to Iran, Dyer’s-saffron has adapted to a variety of climates and soils, thriving particularly in arid and semi-arid environments. This hardy annual plant typically grows to a height of 30 to 150 centimeters, showcasing its vibrant flower heads that range in color from bright yellow to deep orange and red.

Historically, Carthamus tinctorius has been cultivated for its strikingly colorful florets, which have been utilized as a natural dye for textiles, giving it one of its common names. The dye extracted from the flowers, known as carthamin, has been a significant trade commodity for centuries. Additionally, the plant’s seeds are a source of oil, commonly referred to as safflower oil, which is prized for its culinary uses due to its nutritional benefits and high smoke point, making it excellent for cooking and frying.

Apart from its economic and historical importance, Dyer’s-saffron also plays a role in traditional medicine. Various cultures have used different parts of the plant for their purported health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Modern research continues to explore these traditional uses, assessing the potential of Carthamus tinctorius in contemporary natural medicine and pharmacological studies.

Understanding the growth and development of Dyer’s-saffron also provides insights into its agricultural importance. The plant is relatively drought-tolerant, which makes it an excellent crop for regions with limited water resources. Moreover, its deep taproot system helps in improving soil structure and preventing erosion, further underscoring its ecological value.

In summary, Carthamus tinctorius, or Dyer’s-saffron, is a culturally and economically significant plant known for its vibrant flowers, historical use in dye production, versatile oil, and potential medicinal properties. Its adaptability to arid environments and its role in sustainable agriculture make it an important plant species in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Common Names

Spa: azafran bastardo, alazor, azafrán bastardo, chamam açaflor, cártamo, falso-azafrán
Fra: carthame des teinturiers, safran des teinturiers, safran bâtard, safranon, safre
Deu: echter saflor, färber-saflor, färberdistel, saflor, falscher safran
Mlt: għosfor
Eng: safflower, dyer’s-saffron, false saffron, distaff thistle, saffron thistle
Dan: saflor, saflortidsel
Tur: yalanci safran
Swa: alizeti ya miba, kartamu
Por: açaflor, açafroa, açafrol, açafrão-agreste, açafrão-bastardo, açafrão-bravo, cártamo, falso-açafrão
Ita: cartamo, zaffrone
Swe: safflor, färgtistel
Ces: světlice barvířská
Khm: ស្មៅជម្ពូ
Nld: saffloer
Cym: cochlys, safflwr
En: Dyer’s-saffron, Safflower, False saffron, Dyer’s Saffron, Fake Saffron, Parrot Seed, Parrot-seed, Kesumba, ꯀꯨꯁꯨꯝꯂꯩ, Distaff thistle, Saffron thistle, Bastard saffron, Saff flower, Safflor, Common safflower-thistle
Af: Verfblom
Am: ሱፍ
Ar: عصفر, Asfar, Asfour, Asfur, Usfur, Gurdum, عُصْفُر
Eu: Kartamo
Be: Сафлор фарбавальны
Bn: কুসুম ফুল
Bg: Шафранка
My: ဆူးပန်း
Ca: Safranó
Ce: Даьтта доккху баӀ
Zh: Hong hua, Hong lan hua, 红花
Hr: Šafranika
Cs: Světlice barvířská
Da: Falsk Safran, Gul Saflortidsel, Saflor, Saflortidsel
Nl: Saffloer
Et: Värvisafloor
Fi: Värisaflori
Fr: Carthame des teinturiers, Safran bâtard, Safranon, Safre, Safran des teinturiers, Centaurée des teinturiers, Carthame
Gl: Cártamo
Ka: Ალისარჩული
De: Saflor, Färber-Saflor, Färberdistel, Falscher Safran, Öldistel, Wilder Safran, Echter Saflor, Färber-Distel, Färbersaflor
He: חריע
Hi: Kusumbar, कुसुम
Hu: Sáfrányos szeklice
Io: Kartamo
Id: Kesumba
Ga: Cróch bréige
It: Cartamo, Zaffrone, Zafferanone coltivato, Cartamo o zafferanone, Asfore, Falso zafferano
Ja: Beni-bana
Kn: ಕುಸುಬಿ
Kk: Maqsır, Мақсыр, ماقسىر
Km: ស្មៅជម្ពូ
Ko: Iskkot, 잇꽃
Lv: Krāsu saflors
Lt: Dažinis dygminas
Ms: Kesumba
Ml: ചെണ്ടൂരകം
Mt: Għosfor
Mr: करडई
Ne: कुसुम
No: Safrantistel
Or: କୁସୁମ
Pa: ਕਸੁੰਭ
Ps: ځريځه
Fa: Khasakdana, گلرنگ
Pl: Szafran Fatszywy, Krokosz barwierski
Pt: Açaflor, Açafrão-bastardo, Açafroa, Açafrol (1), Saflor, Açafrol, Açafrão-agreste, Açafrão-bravo, Cártamo, Falso-açafrão
Ro: Șofrănel
Ru: Сафлор красильный
Sr: Шафраника
Sd: کھنبو
Sk: Požlt farbiarsky
Es: Azafrán bastardo, Alazor, Cártamo, Azafran bastardo, Chamam açaflor, Falso-azafrán, Azafran somi, Cártamo alazor
Su: Kasumba
Sw: Alizeti ya miba, Kartamu
Sv: Safflor, Färgtistel
Zh-tw: 川紅花
Te: కుసుమ
Th: คำฝอย
Bo: གུར་ཀུམ།
Zh-hant: 紅花
Tr: Aspir, Boyacı aspiri, Yalancı safran, Yalanci safran
Uk: Сафлор красильний
Ur: گلرنگ
Uz: Maxsar
Vi: Hồng hoa
Cy: Safflwr, Cochlys

Synonyms

• Calcitrapa tinctoria ((L.) Röhl.)
• Centaurea carthamus (E.H.L.Krause)
• Carthamus glaber (Burm.f.)
• Carthamus tinctorius var. spinosus (Kitam.)

Distribution

• Iran (native)
• Turkey (native)
• Afghanistan (introduced)
• Alberta (introduced)
• Algeria (introduced)
• Argentina Northeast (introduced)
• Argentina Northwest (introduced)
• Argentina South (introduced)
• Arizona (introduced)
• Assam (introduced)
• Austria (introduced)
• Baltic States (introduced)
• Bangladesh (introduced)
• Belgium (introduced)
• Borneo (introduced)
• British Columbia (introduced)
• Bulgaria (introduced)
• California (introduced)
• Cambodia (introduced)
• Canary Is. (introduced)
• Central European Rus (introduced)
• Chile Central (introduced)
• Chile North (introduced)
• Chile South (introduced)
• China North-Central (introduced)
• China South-Central (introduced)
• China Southeast (introduced)
• Colombia (introduced)
• Colorado (introduced)
• Cuba (introduced)
• Czechoslovakia (introduced)
• East Aegean Is. (introduced)
• East European Russia (introduced)
• East Himalaya (introduced)
• Egypt (introduced)
• El Salvador (introduced)
• Eritrea (introduced)
• Ethiopia (introduced)
• France (introduced)
• Germany (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Greece (introduced)
• Gulf States (introduced)
• Hainan (introduced)
• Hungary (introduced)
• Idaho (introduced)
• Illinois (introduced)
• India (introduced)
• Inner Mongolia (introduced)
• Iowa (introduced)
• Iraq (introduced)
• Ireland (introduced)
• Italy (introduced)
• Japan (introduced)
• Jawa (introduced)
• Kansas (introduced)
• Kazakhstan (introduced)
• Korea (introduced)
• Krym (introduced)
• Kuwait (introduced)
• Laos (introduced)
• Lebanon-Syria (introduced)
• Lesser Sunda Is. (introduced)
• Libya (introduced)
• Madeira (introduced)
• Malaya (introduced)
• Maluku (introduced)
• Manchuria (introduced)
• Masachusettes (introduced)
• Mauritius (introduced)
• Mexico Central (introduced)
• Mexico Gulf (introduced)
• Mexico Northeast (introduced)
• Mexico Northwest (introduced)
• Mexico Southeast (introduced)
• Mexico Southwest (introduced)
• Montana (introduced)
• Morocco (introduced)
• Mozambique (introduced)
• Myanmar (introduced)
• Nebraska (introduced)
• Nepal (introduced)
• Netherlands (introduced)
• New Mexico (introduced)
• New South Wales (introduced)
• New York (introduced)
• New Zealand North (introduced)
• New Zealand South (introduced)
• Nicaragua (introduced)
• North Caucasus (introduced)
• North Dakota (introduced)
• North European Russi (introduced)
• Northern Territory (introduced)
• Northwest European R (introduced)
• Ohio (introduced)
• Oman (introduced)
• Oregon (introduced)
• Pakistan (introduced)
• Palestine (introduced)
• Paraguay (introduced)
• Philippines (introduced)
• Poland (introduced)
• Portugal (introduced)
• Qinghai (introduced)
• Queensland (introduced)
• Romania (introduced)
• Saudi Arabia (introduced)
• Sicilia (introduced)
• South Australia (introduced)
• South European Russi (introduced)
• Spain (introduced)
• Sudan (introduced)
• Sulawesi (introduced)
• Sumatera (introduced)
• Switzerland (introduced)
• Tadzhikistan (introduced)
• Tasmania (introduced)
• Thailand (introduced)
• Tibet (introduced)
• Transcaucasus (introduced)
• Tunisia (introduced)
• Ukraine (introduced)
• Uruguay (introduced)
• Utah (introduced)
• Uzbekistan (introduced)
• Victoria (introduced)
• Vietnam (introduced)
• Washington (introduced)
• West Himalaya (introduced)
• Western Australia (introduced)
• Xinjiang (introduced)
• Yemen (introduced)
• Yugoslavia (introduced)
• Zimbabwe (introduced)

Additional Images

Leaf

Taken Sep 11, 2020 by Třešničková Milena (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 30, 2020 by colmenares oscar (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 17, 2019 by Can Saborit (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 4, 2020 by Vladimír Valach (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 2, 2022 by Annemarie Ahrens-Stehle (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Jul 15, 2021 by Michaela Schöll (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 11, 2020 by isa.b3lla (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 23, 2021 by BlackforestTony (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 23, 2017 by Domina Jaswiec (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 5, 2019 by Lucie Kozlová (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Jul 7, 2019 by Fedan Hacizade (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 7, 2022 by Z H (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 15, 2019 by tanya (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 18, 2019 by Joshua Brown (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 4, 2020 by Vladimír Valach (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Fruit

Taken Jan 15, 2020 by Axel Zing (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 29, 2019 by claudio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 17, 2022 by Saurabh Sachan (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 27, 2022 by Lynn van der Mijden (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 14, 2019 by ferstelich siegrun (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Jun 26, 2017 by S H (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 7, 2019 by Fedan Hacizade (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 27, 2022 by Lynn van der Mijden (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Aug 15, 1987 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)

Taken Jul 12, 2020 by Gerda Teunissen (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 8, 2019 by natalia scrobota (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 12, 2022 by Debra Sweeney (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 8, 2019 by natalia scrobota (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3138327)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:324467-2)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Specifications

Growth habit: Forb/herb

Growth

Ph maximum: 7.5

Ph minimum: 7.0

Light: 9

Atmospheric humidity: 1

Soil nutriments: 7