Safflower

Safflower

　　Safflower, also known as Carthamus tinctorius, is native to Egypt but has also been cultivated for a long time in places like Pakistan and India. It can be used medicinally for its blood-activating and circulation-improving properties. The seeds of safflower contain up to 55.38% oil, and long-term consumption of this oil can help lower cholesterol levels in the blood, prevent arteriosclerosis, and thus can be used in the treatment of coronary heart disease; due to the very low content of linolenic acid in safflower oil, it is also a good raw material for making paint. Safflower can be vigorously cultivated in eastern, southeastern, and southern Tibet, and has great development potential. Saffron, also known as Crocus sativus or “Western red flower,” is native to Spain and also has a long cultivation history in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. Abroad, it was initially cultivated only as a dye, but later it was recognized as a valuable medicinal herb that activates blood circulation, improves circulation, removes blood stasis, and relieves pain. In medicine, it is commonly used to treat amenorrhea caused by blood stasis, as well as pain in the chest, abdomen, and rib area. It can also treat wounds, abscesses, and swelling, and is especially renowned for its blood-nourishing function. For this reason, saffron was introduced to China as early as the Ming Dynasty and was included as a medicinal substance in the Compendium of Materia Medica. Of course, in terms of its blood-nourishing function, it far surpasses that of safflower.

　　 　　Safflower and saffron differ by only one character, so they are often mistakenly thought to be the same plant under different names. Some people even mistake the safflower, which has long been introduced and cultivated in Tibet, for saffron. In fact, these are two completely different plants. Safflower is an annual herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family within the dicotyledon class, growing up to about 1 meter tall, with each tubular flower in the capitulum being orange-red. Saffron, on the other hand, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Iridaceae family within the monocotyledon class, with bulbs, and its flowers are bluish-purple or purplish-red. Although both have similar functions in activating blood circulation and improving circulation, they differ greatly in systematic evolution, morphological development, and other uses.

　　 　　Tibet does not produce saffron, so why is saffron named with the prefix “Tibet” (藏)? This is because the medicinal herb was introduced to Tibet via the Mediterranean coast and India, and from there it was transported inland. As a result, people began calling it saffron.