Safflower (Honghua)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Flos Carthami |
| Botanical Name: | Carthamus tinctorius L. |
| Common Name: | Carthamus Safflower |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Kaibao Bencao |
| Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The flowers are gathered in summer, when they turn bright red. They are then dried in the shade. |
| Properties and Taste: | Pungent and warm |
| Meridian: | Heart and liver |
| Functions: | To invigorate blood and release stagnation To promote menstruation |
| Indications and Combinations: | Blood stagnation manifested as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and pain and swelling due to external injuries. *Use with Peach seed (Taoren), Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong) and Red peony (Chishao) in the formula Tao Hong Siwu Tang. |
| Dosage: | 3-10 g |
| Cautions: | This herb is contraindicated during pregnancy. |