June 20, 2002

SAFFLOWER

Latin Name: Carthamus tinctorius

Alternate Names: False Saffron, Dyers Saffron, Parrot Plant, Hoang-chi (Chinese), Koosumbha (East India)

Family: ASTERACEAE

Parts Used: Flowers.

Properties: Alterative, Analgesic, Anticoagulant, Anti-inflammatory, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Laxative.

Internal Uses: Amenorrhea, Blood Clots, Colds, Fever, Hysteria, Measles, Seizure

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules.

It is a mild diaphoretic. Safflower helps to move stagnant blood and alleviate pain.

Topical Uses: Bruises, Inflammation, Sprains

Topical Applications: Flowers have been used to color cosmetics rouge. Use as a liniment for bruises, sprains and inflammations. Oil is used for massage. Place dried flowers in potpourri.

Culinary uses: The petals are edible. Flowers are used for food coloring, often as a cheaper substitute for Saffron. Used by Hopi Indians to color their bread. Also used to color margarine and beverages. Young shoots are edible when cooked as a vegetable. Oil, which is high in polyunsaturates, is used in salads, cooking and mayonnaise.

Energetics: Pungent, Bitter, Warm.

Chemical Constituents: Pigment (carthamone), lignans, polysaccharide, essential oil (arachic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid).

Contraindications: Avoid the flowers and seeds during pregnancy. However, the purified oil is regarded as safe during that time.

Comments: Native to Iran and India. Safflower oil is a popular cooking oil extracted from the seeds. The plant has been cultivated for its use as a dye plant, yielding both yellow and red coloring. Linens used to wrap mummies were often colored with Safflower.

-- Cheryl in KS (mac0328@planetkc.com), June 20, 2002

Answers

Here's a picture:

-- Cheryl in KS (klingonbunny@planetkc.com), June 20, 2002.

Hello. Anyone know how I can get safflowers or powder to make tea? It was suggested as a remedy for psoriasis by Edgar Cayce. Thanks a lot. Cordially, Ellen

-- Ellen Hecht (hypn00sis@aol.com), June 21, 2002.

Hi, Ellen! If you'll go to www.google.com and enter safflower powder for the search, it will bring up several sites that sell it. :-)

-- Cheryl in KS (klingonbunny@planetkc.com), June 23, 2002.