Saffron crocus

Ancient frescoes from Crete and Santorini (about 1700–1500 BCE) and modern genetic studies point to saffron's emergence and domestication in ancient Greece, most likely in Attica. The word "saffron" goes back to Old French safran, from Latin safranum and Arabic za'farān.

Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus, family Iridaceae) is a corm-bearing plant known only in cultivation; it is the source of the spice and colorant saffron, obtained from its long red style branches and stigmas.