Pictures of Flowers Safflower Plant Pictures and Safflower Plant Kind

By Pictures of flowers

on March 6, 2009

Pictures of Flowers Safflower Plant Pictures and Safflower Plant Kind

Safflower is an herbaceous thistle-like annual plant. The plant has many branches with long sharp spines on its leaves. It grows 30-150 cm tall with globular flowerheads. Brilliant yellow, red or orange flowers bloom in the month of July. Each branch of the plant typically has 1-5 flowerheads, which contain about 15-20 seeds per head. Safflower plants have strong taproot with which it can thrive in dry climates. The plant is susceptible to frost injury.

Traditionally, Safflower plants were grown for its seeds that were used in food coloring and flavoring. Besides, it was also used in medicines and for making red and yellow dyes. However, due to cheaper varieties of synthetic dyes, it is no more used for making dyes. All over the world, the plant is extensively cultivated for extracting vegetable oil from its seeds. Latest research has also reported that genetically modified safflower can be used to make insulin. Safflower oil is colorless, odorless and nutritionally similar to sunflower oil. Safflower oil is used as cooking oil, salad dressing and for the production of margarine.