Safflower
or BASTARD SAF- FRON (Carthamus tinctorius), a large thistle - like plant with orange - colored flowers, natural order Compositæ. It is cultivated in China, India, Egypt, and in the S. of Europe. An oil is expressed from the seeds, which is used as a lamp oil. The dried flowers afford two coloring matters (also called safflower), a yellow and a red, the latter (carthamine) being that for which they are most valued. They are chiefly used for dyeing silk, affording various shades of pink, rose, crimson, and scarlet. Mixed with finely-powdered talc, safflower forms common variety of rouge. In some places a saffron, and for adulterating the latter.
The oil, in large doses, acts as a purgative.