Safflower

Safflower is an annual herb with long sharp spiny leaves and yellow or reddish flowers on a stiff, upright stem. It is cultivated mainly for the vegetable oil extracted from its seeds.

Safflower oil is flavorless and colorless, and nutritionally similar to sunflower oil. It is used mainly as a cooking oil, in salad dressing, and for the production of margarine. It may also be taken as a nutritional supplement.

Safflower flowers are occasionally used in cooking as a cheaper substitute for saffron, and are thus sometimes referred to as "bastard saffron."