Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: autumn crocus, saffron crocus

Family: Iridaceae (Iris)

Distribution: Cosmopolitan

IUCN Red list: Not evaluated

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber - seasonally dormant)

Comments: Known commonly as saffron crocus, this bulb is best known for the spice produced from its dried stigmas. It is originally from the Middle East, but is now cultivated all over the world. Saffron is considered to be the most valuable spice by weight. It flowers for a period of two to three weeks, in which the very labour-intensive job of harvesting the stigmas by hand takes place. It takes about 200 000 flowers to produce 1 kg of saffron. Apart from being a valuable spice, saffron has been found to have various medicinal properties such as antidepressants, antioxidants and cardioprotective properties.