Editing Safflower (section)

{{Short description|Species of plant}}
{{distinguish|saffron}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Safflower
| image = Safflower.jpg
| genus = Carthamus
| species = tinctorius
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/2700365|title=Tropicos|publisher=[[Missouri Botanical Garden]], St. Louis, MO|date=2016|access-date=16 June 2016}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Illustration Carthamus tinctorius0.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Carthamus tinctorius'']][[File:Saffloweroutput.png|thumb|300px|right|Worldwide safflower production]]
[[File:Carthamus tinctorius MHNT.BOT.2011.3.34.jpg|thumb|''Carthamus tinctorius'' - [[MHNT]]]]

'''Safflower''' ('''''Carthamus tinctorius''''') is a highly branched, [[herbaceous]], [[thistle]]-like [[annual plant]] in the family Asteraceae. It is one of the world's oldest crops; today, it is commercially cultivated for [[vegetable oil]] extracted from the [[seed]]s. Plants are {{convert|30|to|150|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall with globular [[flower head]]s having [[yellow]], [[orange (colour)|orange]], or [[red]] [[flower]]s. Each branch will usually have from one to five flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head. Safflower is native to arid environments having [[Wet season|seasonal rain]]. It grows a deep [[taproot]] which enables it to thrive in such environments.