n.
Flowering annual plant ( Carthamus tinctorius ) of the composite family .
Native to parts of Asia and Africa, it is now widely grown as an oil crop in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Israel, and Turkey. Oil obtained from the seeds, an ingredient of soft margarines, salad oil, and cooking oil, is valued for its high proportion of polyunsaturated fats. Since the oil does not yellow with age, it is also a useful base for varnish and paint. The plant, which grows 14 ft (0.31.2 m) high, has flowers in red, orange, yellow, or white, which were formerly a source of textile dyes.
Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius )
J.C. Allen and Son