Carthamus tinctorius L. A perennial with thistle-like flowers that grows to thirty to ninety centimeters and is cultivated mostly in the northeast area of Japan. The flowers bloom in early summer, first yellow, then gradually turning red from base to tip. Each head is composed of numerous tiny flowers containing carthamim, which can be extracted as a red dye when in an alkaline solution. Safflower works also as an insecticide and a medicine for fever.