Evolution and botany of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and allied species

Rashed-Mohassel, Mohammad-Hassan

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818638-1.00004-6

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The triploidy of saffron crocus results in a disturbed meiosis leading to at least partial sterility. As result of erroneous chromosome pairing, meiosis progresses only incompletely and yields abnormal pollen (Chichiriccò, 1984;Rashed-Mohassel, 2020). In consequence, cross-fertilization between C. sativus and other species is limited (Caiola, 1999;Caiola et al, 2000).…”

Section: Saffron Is Infertile and Can Only Be Propagated Vegetativelymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Artworks and Crocus Genetics Both Support Saffron’s Origin in Early Greece

et al. 2022

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Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) is a male-sterile, triploid flower crop, and source of the spice and colorant saffron. For over three millennia, it was cultivated across the Mediterranean, including ancient Greece, Persia, and other cultures, later spreading all over the world. Despite saffron crocus’ early omnipresence, its origin has been the matter of a century-old debate, in terms of area and time as well as parental species contribution. While remnants of the ancient arts, crafts, and texts still provide hints on its origin, modern genetics has the potential to efficiently follow these leads, thus shedding light on new possible lines of descent. In this review, we follow ancient arts and recent genetics to trace the evolutionary origin of saffron crocus. We focus on the place and time of saffron domestication and cultivation, and address its presumed autopolyploid origin involving cytotypes of wild Crocus cartwrightianus. Both ancient arts from Greece, Iran, and Mesopotamia as well as recent cytogenetic and comparative next-generation sequencing approaches point to saffron’s emergence and domestication in ancient Greece, showing how both disciplines converge in tracing its origin.

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Section: Saffron Is Infertile and Can Only Be Propagated Vegetativelymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Artworks and Crocus Genetics Both Support Saffron’s Origin in Early Greece

et al. 2022

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“…Flowers of saffron appear before any vegetative development, its growth starts in autumn and ends in spring. Flowers should be harvested early morning before sunrise (Behdani, 2011;Rashed-Mohassel, 2020). Note.…”

Section: Biological Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the 85 species under the Crocus genus, Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is economically the most important species (Behdani, 2011). It is also known by the name "Red gold" and is appreciated for its color, flavor, and aroma which are due to the presence of crocin, picrocrocin and safranal respectively (El Hajj et al, 2019;Rashed-Mohassel, 2020). It is the most expensive spice crop in the world (Chaudhary and Pandey, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Saffron (Crocus Sativus L.): A Potential High Value Crop for Hilly Areas

Shrestha¹,

Regmi²

2022

Review.food.agr.

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Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is a perennial, herbaceous geophyte successfully grown in the temperate region. Its stigmas are the most economical part and the most expensive spice on earth. Secondary metabolites: crocin, picrocrocin and safranal are responsible for its colour, flavour and aroma respectively. It is used as spice, fragrance, dye, cosmetics and for medicinal purposes. It can also be grown under rainfed conditions and low nutrient input in the hilly areas of Nepal at an altitude of 1500-2800 meters above sea level. Annually, Nepal produces around 7-10 kilograms of saffron which is far beyond the national demand. It is a low volume high value commodity and the availability of its suitable agroclimatic conditions in Nepal has created an immense possibility towards its production leading to import substitution and export promotion. Along with the proper nutrient management, proper plant density with adequate irrigation facilities and weed management, availability of disease free and quality corms, technical knowledge on modern room cultivation and proper postharvest processing are the key factors that should be looked after for the higher production of saffron.

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“…The origin and history of saffron The name "saffron" most probably originates from the Persian word "sahafaran." [20] Some researchers attribute the name "saffron" to the Arabic word "Zafaran," which means yellow. [1] Numerous legends have clouded the exact origin of saffron, while expert opinions on its origin are diversified as well.…”

Section: The Origin Of Saffronmentioning

confidence: 99%

The History of Saffron in China: From Its Origin to Applications

Dai

Nabil

Hong

2021

Chinese Medicine and Culture

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Saffron blooms in autumn, specifically in November, for only 15-20 days, and does not propagate by seeds. The cultivation and processing of saffron, including harvesting, drying, and screening, require delicate and manual handling. To produce 1 kg of saffron, approximately 70,000-200,000 flowers are required and each flower weighs approximately 0.3-1.0 g. This explains why saffron remains one of the world's most expensive medicinal plants. The price of top-grade saffron can reach 100 RMB (approximately 15-16 USD) per gram in China. [3] Globally, Iran produces saffron on the largest scale and its produce is of the highest quality. Other countries, such as Australia, Canada, the USA, China, and some countries in Central Africa, also produce and export saffron every year but at a lower yield. [4] The applications of saffron have been extensively studied. There are contradictory reports in historical aspects, such as its origin and introduction to China, and there has been less emphasis on these topics. Hence, this review intends to clarify the origins of saffron and its introduction to China [Table 1], as well as to summarize its diverse applications in medicine, art, food, perfumery, and cosmetics industries in China and overseas [Figure 1].

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Evolution and botany of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and allied species

Cited by 7 publications

References 19 publications

Ancient Artworks and Crocus Genetics Both Support Saffron’s Origin in Early Greece

Ancient Artworks and Crocus Genetics Both Support Saffron’s Origin in Early Greece

Saffron (Crocus Sativus L.): A Potential High Value Crop for Hilly Areas

The History of Saffron in China: From Its Origin to Applications

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