154 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



Seeds of both small and quadrate, smaller in the latter. Re- 

 ceptacle nude. 



Habitat. — Grows throughout the islands and is well 

 known. 



Carthamus tinctorius, L. 



Nom. Vulg. — Azafr&n de la tierra, Sp.; Biri, Kasubha, 

 Katsumba, Lago, Tag.; Kasabba, Vis.; Kasubha, Kastumba, 

 Pam.; Bastard Saffron, Dyer's Saffiower, Eng. 



Uses. — This plant must not be confounded with Curcuma 

 longa, L., whose tuber is also frequently called saffron (azafran), 

 and is used to color food. 



The flower is the part employed as a condiment coloring the 

 food yellow. Some use them internally in doses of 4 grams to 

 cure icterus. The leaves coagulate milk. The seeds are pur- 

 gative in dose of 8-16 grams, bruised and taken in emulsion, 

 or 15—30 grams in decoction. 



The following is the chemical analysis of the plant : 



Yellow coloring matter, soluble 26.1-36.0 



Carthamic acid 0.3- 0.6 



Extractive matter 3.6— 6.5 



Albumin 1.5- 8.0 



Wax 0.6- 1.5 



Cellulose, pectin 38.4-56.0 



Silica 1.0- 8.4 



Oxide of iron, aluminum, oxide of manga- 

 nese 0.4- 4.6 



(Salvetat.) 



Botanical Description. — A plant 3° high, root gray and 

 spindle-shaped. Stem straight, few branches. Leaves scat- 

 tered, sessile, partially embracing the stem, lanceolate, serrate 

 with hooked teeth. Flowers yellow, terminal in a sort of 

 corymb. Common calyx semiglobose, with imbricated scales, 

 the border often bearing thorns ; numerous hermaphrodite disk 



