Cultivation and harvesting of Crocus sativus for saffron was first documented in the Mediterranean, notably on the island of Crete.
The cup-shaped, solitary, salverform flower tapers off into a narrow tube. Their colors vary enormously, although lilac, mauve, yellow, and white are predominant.
![Crocus ligusticus](https://picture.lindebjerg.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/lilac-crocus-1024x682.jpg)