Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food. Saffron has long been the world's costliest spice by weight. Although some doubts remain on its origin, it is believed that saffron originated in Iran. However, Greece and Mesopotamia have also been suggested as the possible region of origin of this plant. Saffron crocus slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania.
Crocus is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain underground, that bear relatively large white, yellow, orange or purple flowers and then become dormant after flowering. Many are cultivated for their flowers, appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The flowers close at night and in overcast weather conditions. The crocus has been known throughout recorded history, mainly as the source of saffron. Saffron is obtained from the dried stigma of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species. It is valued as a spice and dyestuff, and is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Iran is the center of saffron production. Crocuses are native to woodland, scrub, and meadows from sea level to alpine tundra from the Mediterranean, through North Africa, central and southern Europe, the islands of the Aegean, the Middle East and across Central Asia to Xinjiang in western China. Crocuses may be propagated from seed or from daughter cormels formed on the corm, that eventually produce mature plants. They arrived in Europe from Turkey in the 16th century and became valued as an ornamental flowering plant.
Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide. It includes a number of other well known cultivated plants, such as freesias, gladioli and crocuses.
Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, or naked ladies, is a toxic autumn-blooming flowering plant that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the plant family Colchicaceae, unlike the true crocuses, which belong to the family Iridaceae. The name "naked ladies" is because the flowers emerge from the ground long before the leaves appear. Despite the vernacular name of "meadow saffron", this plant is not the source of saffron, which is obtained from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus – and that plant, too, is sometimes called "autumn crocus".
The Valley is the capital of Anguilla, one of its fourteen districts, and the main town on the island. As of 2011, it had a population of 1,067.
Crocus sativus, commonly known as saffron crocus, or autumn crocus, is a species of flowering plant of the Crocus genus in the iris family Iridaceae. It is best known for producing the spice saffron from the filaments that grow inside the flower. The term "autumn crocus" is also used for species in the Colchicum genus, which strongly resemble crocuses. However, crocuses have three stamens and three styles, while colchicums have six stamens and one style, and belong to a different family, Colchicaceae. Colchicums are also toxic.
Safranal is an organic compound isolated from saffron, the spice consisting of the stigmas of crocus flowers. It is the constituent primarily responsible for the aroma of saffron.
Human cultivation and use of saffron spans more than 3,500 years and extends across cultures, continents, and civilizations. Saffron, a spice derived from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus, has through history remained among the world's most costly substances. With its bitter taste, hay-like fragrance, and slight metallic notes, the apocarotenoid-rich saffron has been used as a seasoning, fragrance, dye, and medicine.
Crocus vernus is a species in Family Iridaceae, native to the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the Balkans. Its cultivars and those of Crocus flavus are used as ornamental plants. The Dutch crocuses are larger than the other cultivated crocus species. Depending on the year, Crocus vernus starts flowering about the same time or up to 2 weeks after Crocus chrysanthus starts flowering. Height: 4–6" (10–15 cm).
Saffron is a key seasoning, fragrance, dye, and medicine in use for over three millennia. One of the world's most expensive spices by weight, saffron consists of stigmas plucked from the vegetatively propagated and sterile Crocus sativus, known popularly as the saffron crocus. The resulting dried stigmas, also known as "threads", are distinguished by their bitter taste, hay-like fragrance, and slight metallic notes. The saffron crocus is unknown in the wild; its most likely precursor, Crocus cartwrightianus, originated in Crete or Central Asia; The saffron crocus is native to Southwest Asia and was first cultivated in what is now Greece.
USS Crocus (1862) was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.
Myakinino is a Moscow Metro station. It is a surface-level station on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line, between Volokolamskaya and Strogino stations. The station opened on 26 December 2009.
Crocus is an unincorporated community in Adair and Russell counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its elevation is 988 feet (301 m).
Crocus Technology, founded in 2006, is a venture-capital-backed semiconductor startup company developing magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) technology. The company's products originated in a Grenoble-based Spintec laboratory and its technology is licensed for stand-alone and embedded chip applications.
Emin Aras oghlu Agalarov, also known as Emin Arazovich Agalarov, is an Azerbaijani-Russian singer and businessman. He writes and performs songs in English, Azerbaijani and Russian and is widely popular in Azerbaijan and Russia.
Scantic was a 326 GRT coaster that was built in 1936 by Noord Nederland Scheepsmakkerij, Groningen as Dr Colijn for a Dutch owner. In 1940, she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Crocus. In 1947, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Stainton. A further sale in 1951 saw her renamed Benwood. In 1955 she was sold to Finland and renamed Monica. A further sale to Sweden in 1957 saw her renamed Mona. In 1963, she was sold to Denmark and renamed Scantic, serving until 7 December 1964 when she foundered in St Georges Channel, United Kingdom.
The Crocus City Hall is a music venue administratively located in Krasnogorsk Urban Settlement in the Krasnogorsky District. The venue was opened by the businessman Aras Agalarov on 25 October 2009 and named after the singer Muslim Magomayev.
IgroMir is the first large-scale annual exhibition of computer and video games in Russia, organized in Moscow by the committee of the Russian Game Developers Conference (KRI) since 2006.
Saffron is one of the world's most expensive spices by weight. Saffron consists of stigmas plucked from the vegetatively propagated and sterile Crocus sativus, known popularly as the saffron crocus. The resulting dried "threads" are distinguished by their bitter taste, hay-like fragrance, and slight metallic notes. The saffron crocus is unknown in the wild; its most likely precursor, Crocus cartwrightianus, originated in Crete or Central Asia; The saffron crocus is native to Southwest Asia, and is believed to have been first cultivated in Iran. Greece, Turkey, and Kashmir have also been suggested as possible sites of origin.
"Saffron, for example, was once less regarded than it is today because the crocus from which it is extracted was not particularly mysterious. It flourished in European locations extending from Asia Minor, where it originated, to Saffron Walden in England, where it was naturalised. Only subsequently, when its labour-intensive cultivation became largely centred in Kashmir, did it seem sufficiently exotic to qualify as one of the most precious of spices."
Inkpen Crocus Fields is a 3.1-hectare (7.7-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Inkpen in Berkshire. It is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
