Crocus Sativus Phytology
The spice Saffron is taken from the stigmas of the Crocus Sativus plant. When the plant blooms, it has a purple color and the orange-red threads are those which are used as spice. In order to use the spice, the orange-red threads must be harvested, dried and then used in various cuisines.
Crocus Sativus belongs to the sword lily family and the genus Crocus, as derived from its name. This plant also belongs to the crocus genus and the sword lily family. When planted, it will be ready for harvest in the fall as this is their season for harvesting. The crocus Sativus is an asexual plant meaning that this plant does not reproduce asexually. In order to reproduce itself, the Crocus Sativus must undergo reproduction with the help of tubers.
This particular 'triploid' plant species was first discovered in the Mediterranean area yet it is known to have originated in Central Asia. Crocus Sativus is considered to be triploid specie because it has three homologous which have equivalent pairs of chromosomes that make up the genetics of the plant. Overall, the Crocus Sativus has 24 chromosomes. From this, it can be believed that the origin of saffron came from extreme artificial selection.
Parts of the plant
The Crocus Sativus has several parts which makes it up as a whole. Some of these parts are the root, onion, shoot axis, leaves, flowers and the gynoecium. The root of the plant has short, single roots which grow from the base of the plant bulb. The onion, on the other hand, refers to the onion roots on the mother bulb which is surrounded by a network of fibrous sheath remnants from the previous year's leaves. The Crocus Sativus also has a shoot axis which can grow up to be 8-25 inches long.
The leaves of the Crocus Sativus has about five above-ground protective sheets while a total of 20-60 leaves can be present per flower. In regards with the flowers, there are no specific numbers of flowers the Crocus Sativus can have yet each flower is known to have six petals each. Lastly, the gynoecium refers to the deep-seated ovary of the plant which has many seeds. And since the Crocus Sativus is asexual, in order to reproduce an onion or tuber must be propagated.
