Crocus sativus L. is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Crocus in the family Iridaceae. The leaves are linear, gray green, with curled edges; The flowers are light purple in color, with a fragrant aroma. The style is red and the stigma is slightly flattened;
The early main cultivation centers were Silesia and Asia Minor. Around 961, the Arabs planted it in Spain. At many times, saffron was more expensive than gold of the same weight and remains the most valuable spice in the world today. Nowadays, it is mainly planted in Spain, France, Sicily, the Italian Apennine Mountains, as well as Iran and Kashmir.
The main medicinal part is the small stigma, which makes it very precious. Saffron contains compounds of carotenoids, mainly including crocin, dimethyl crocin, crocin, and volatile oil, with crocin aldehyde being the main component in the oil.