oe ” aang 
310 COMPOSIT 2. 
but the chief characteristic consists in the absence of the 
bristles, technically termed pappus. The fruits are about the 
size of barley corns, somewhat 4-sided, white and shining like 
little shells. (A. Smith, in Treasury of Botany.) 
Chemical composition.—The flowers of Carthamus tinctorius 
contain two coloured principles, one yellow, soluble in water, 
and of no use in dyeing; the other red, soluble in alkalis, and 
precipitable by acids from its alkaline solutions; this is Car- 
thamin. ‘To prepare it, safflower is first washed repeatedly 
with water, to free it from the yellow substance, then treated with 
solution of carbonate of sodium ; the liquid is saturated with 
acetic acid, and pieces of cotton are immersed in it, on which 
the carthamin is deposited. After twenty-four hours the cotton 
is removed and treated with solution of carbonate of sodium, 
_ which redissolves the colouring matter, the solution is mixed 
with citric acid, whereby the carthamin is precipitated in red 
flocks, and, lastly, these flocks are dissolved in alcohol. The 
Solution evaporated in vacuo yields the carthamin in the form 
of a powder, having a deep red colour with greenish iridescence. 
_ It is sparingly soluble in water, insoluble in ether, but easily 
soluble in alcohol, yielding a fine purple solution. 
According to Schlieper, carthamin has the formula C!#H!*O’, 
M. Salvétat gives the following figures as representing the 
biel aaa of safflower :— 
Yellow ene i soluble in water... 26°1 to 36:0 
Cartham 0-3 to 0°6 
Tatcative matters 3°6 to 56 
~ Albumen : 15 to 8-0 
Wat tc, vie 0°6 to 15 
Cellulose 88°4 to 56:0 
Silica .. . 10to 84 
sp gre and oxide of i WOM vevesesersesrasss. O74 to 1°6 
WEG +6 60:4 Cons whee nese ensesd>sinnidéeres .ac 0-1 to 05 
A certain amount of pactia aoe, is also e,stnar eect to be 
