Other Common Names: Saffron Crocus,
Spanish Saffron
Family: Iridaceae
Taxonomy: Crocus
includes about 80 species of Eurasian herbs. Crocus sativus is a sterile
triploid, existing only in cultivation, which is probably derived from the wild
species C. cartwrightianus Herbert.
Description: Perennial herb
arising from globose corms to 5 cm in diameter. Leaves basal, 5–11, linear, to
40 cm long, often withered at flowering. Flowers 1–4, subtended by white bract
and bracteole. Perianth of 6 subequal tepals; tube narrow, 4–5(–8) cm long,
throat pubescent; lobes 3.5–5 cm long, oblanceolate to obovate, obtuse, lilac
to purple with darker purple veins. Stamens 3; filaments 7–11 mm long, purplish
or whitish; anthers 15–20 mm long, yellow. Style yellow to colorless; stigma
deep red with three branches; branches 25–50 mm long with clubbed apices.
Parts
in Commerce:
Stigmas
Identification:
- Usually 2–4 cm
long when dried; sometimes 3 attached to short remains of style
- Dark red to
orange-red at tips
- Very narrowly
funnel-shaped, top portion broadening into open tube with fringed or
dentate margin
- Possibly
attached to a very short piece of yellowish style
- Odor aromatic,
characteristic
- Taste aromatic,
bitter; colors saliva orange-yellow
Adulteration: Deliberate adulteration has in the past been common. Adulteration with
the smaller, orange stigmas of another Crocus species has been reported
in the literature, but is unlikely to be a common occurrence. The styles of
daylilies such as Hemerocallis fulva L. have also been mentioned as
adulterants; such material would be for the most part the long thin style,
which does not broaden towards the apex as do the long stigmas of saffron, and
on the tips of which three small bumps of stigmatic tissue may be observed.
Whole
florets of certain composites, particularly Carthamus tinctorius
(Safflower), bear a superficial resemblance to the apically broadened stigmas
of C. sativus; florets of other species were dyed red. Close observation
would easily reveal any of these to possess a few distinct teeth or corolla
lobes and a few main nerves, and often to include a receptacle or sexual parts.
Some
fragments of other floral parts are likely to be present. Style material
attached to the stigmas should not be excessive. Deliberate adulteration with
red-dyed stamens has also been reported.
References:
Mathew B. Crocus. In: Davis PH. Flora of
Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, vol. 8. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University
Press; 1984:413–438.
Mathew B. Botany, taxonomy and cytology of C.
sativus L. and its allies. In: M. Negbi, ed. Saffron, Crocus sativus
L. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers; 1999:19–30. Medicinal and
Aromatic Plants—Industrial Profiles, vol. 8.
Youngken HW. Text-Book of Pharmacognosy, 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: The
Blakiston Company; 1943:204–207.
