A field experiment was conducted during rabi season 2002-03 at Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad to evaluate twelve safflower genotypes for growth parameters and yield under rain-fed conditions. The genotypes 98-102, 98-51. and check A 1 recorded higher leaf, stem, capsule and total dry matter at all the stages of growth and also recorded significantly higher yield. Further, the total dry matter accumulation and its distribution in to different plant parts were also significantly and positively associated with seed yield at all the stages of crop growth and the degree of association increased with crop age. The total dry matter (0.835** and 0.815** at 90 DAS and harvest, respectively) was very strongly associated with seed yield when compared to its components (leaf, stem and capsule dry matter) at all the stages. The genotypes 98-102,98-3, 98-51 and check A1 also recorded maximum leaf area, LAI and LAD, which were positively and significantly associated with seed yield at all the stages (0.593**, 0.593** and 0.601**, respectively). The genotypes 98-102, 98-51 and 98-43 recorded higher absolute growth rate (AGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) values, which also recorded higher seed yield. All the growth indices were positively and significantly associated with seed yield except RGR and NAR during 90 DAS to harvest stage. Both AGR and NAR were highly associated with their respective growth stages i.e., AGR and NAR at 30 -60 DAS (0.821**) 60-90 DAS (0.909**) and 90 DAS to harvest (0.762**).