Family : Iridaceae

English : Saffron

Hindi : Kesar

Gujarati : Kesar

Sanskrit : Kumkuma, kesara

Part used : Style and Stigma

Botanical Description: A small bulbous perrenial 15-25cm height, leaves radical, narrow, linear, channeled,leaf sheaths closely reticulate, flowers blue, scented appearing with leaves, anthers yellow, ovary three celled, stigma s orange coloured, trifid on filiform style tops, fruits loculicidal capsules. Fruiting and flowering from August to November.

It is cultivated in Kashmir and widely distributed.

Modern Pharmacological Action: Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that saffron extracts have antitumour, radical scavenger, hypolipademic, anticonvulsant effects and improve activity on learning and memory. In traditional medicine, the stigma of this plant is used as an antiedematogenic remedy.