Carthamus

Distaff thistles
Saffron thistle, Carthamus lanatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Carduoideae
Tribe: Cardueae
Subtribe: Centaureinae
Genus: Carthamus
L.
Type species
Carthamus tinctorius
Synonyms[3]
  • Carthamoides Vaill.
  • Kentrophyllum Neck. ex DC.
  • Carthamus sect. Eucarthamus Baill.
  • Durandoa Pomel

The genus Carthamus, the distaff thistles, includes plants in the family Asteraceae.[4] The group is native to Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia.[3][5] The flower has been used since ancient times in the Philippines, which it has been called kasubha by the Tagalog people.[6]

The best known species is the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius).

Species[3]
  1. ^ lectotype designated by Green, Prop. Brit. Bot.: 179 (1929)
  2. ^ Tropicos, Carthamus L.
  3. ^ a b c Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
  4. ^ Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 2: 830-831 in Latin
  5. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, genere Carthamus includes photos and European distribution maps for 9 species
  6. ^ Ancient Beliefs and Customs of the Tagalogs. Lulu.com. 2019-05-25. ISBN 9780244348731.