#crocus sativus

[tattooed-alchemist]

Saffron starts out small and then just dries smaller.

It takes 150,000 flowers to get a pound of dried spice.

[ripplefactor]

Crocus sativus. Autumn crocus Saffron. In the October issue of WoI .. @tessatraeger ..

[thebotanicalarcade]

n236_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: Analyses florum e diversis plantarum generibus :. Halae Magdeburgicae [Halle] :Joannis Jac. Gebaueri,1790.. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52951769

[the-re-farmer]

Our 2024 garden: order in

Yes, you read that right! This is about our 2024 garden! I get regular emails from Veseys, promoting their products, and got a very interesting one today. On following the link, I knew I had to place an order! They had Canadian saffron crocuses available! From the description: “Exclusively Canadian, these bulbs are produced in Quebec. “ Okay, to technically they are a zone 4 bulb, but so is…

[andsoimissedmychance]

Opened this morning

[floriography-by-poe]

Saffron

rarity, complication, vivacity, living life to the fullest, caution against excess and burnout

[musicandgallery]

Here is a hashtag list of supplements, arranged in alphabetical order.

Select the desired one.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

list of "beautiful" words found in a virtual space

I went through my following/followers lists and collected "beautiful" words and phrases from usernames and blog titles to try to include in your next poem/story

Amour Propre - self-esteem

Ephemeral - lasting a very short time

Espiègle - tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness

Forgotten faith - faith that has ceased to be remembered

Jovial - characterized by good-humored cheerfulness and conviviality

Moonstruck sun - a sun affected by the moon

Poetic scars - scars that have qualities of poetry

Psychosomatic - of, relating to, concerned with, or involving both mind and body

Nyctophilia - the condition of being very happy and comfortable in the dark

Orphic - of or relating to Orpheus; mystic, oracular

Pirouette - a rapid whirling about of the body

Reverie - daydream; the condition of being lost in thought

Saffron - the deep orange aromatic pungent dried stigmas of a purple-flowered crocus (Crocus sativus) used to color and flavor foods and formerly as a dyestuff and in medicine; a moderate orange to orange yellow

Strawberry Blonde - a reddish-blond color

Sunflowers & teeth - any of a genus (Helianthus) of New World composite plants with large yellow-rayed flower heads bearing edible seeds that yield an edible oil & hard bony appendages that are borne on the jaws or in many of the lower vertebrates on other bones in the walls of the mouth or pharynx and serve especially for the prehension and mastication of food and as weapons of offense and defense

Thaumaturge - a performer of miracles

The last poet - the last maker of verses

Windows of the soul - windows of a person's total self

Wrath - strong vengeful anger or indignation

Zephyr - a breeze from the west; a gentle breeze

If any of these words or phrases make their way into your next poem/story, please tag me, or leave a link in the replies. I would love to read them!

More: Word Lists

[fatehbaz]

Hmm:

Regarding tenzu tablets:

Caption reads: "Ottoman drugs containing rhubarb, cinnamon, mastic gum, Chinese tumeric, amber, musk, balm of Gilead, Meccan myrrh, white pepper, opium, rose water, cast into moulds & inscribed with healing incantations, 16C". Credited with a link to Yasmine Seale, on social media.

Original linked source doesn't mention where these particular tablets/molds were created, kept, displayed, etc. But I wanted to learn more and found a kinda recent summary of tenzu which was published by Nil Sarı (head of History of Medicine and Ethics Department at Istanbul University's Cerrahpasha medical school, president of Health History and Museology Association), which was presented at a conference in 2016:

Nil Sarı. "The Special Pharmaceutical Tablet “Tenzu” in Ottoman Medicine.” 7th International Congress for History of Islamic Medicine, October 24-28, Fez, Morocco, 2016: 24-28.

An excerpt of the text:

In Ottoman Turkish tenzu (tensuh) means "very rare beautiful thing" or "a box containing a variety of fragrances." Tenzu was also said to be the name of a place in Hitay (Eastern Turkistan / Xinjiang) where a medicinal clay - the main ingredient of the tablet tenzu - was imported from. Tenzu was a kind of theriac said to be effective against various ailments. Different tenzu prescriptions are noted in the texts [...] of several medical manuscripts of the 17th and 18th centuries. These tenzu prescriptions were described by various physicians, e.g. the head physicians Salih bin Nasrullah and Nuh Efendi as well as Hayatizade Mustafa Feyzi and Shaban Shifai who were palace physicians of the period. The special pharmaceutical tablet/pastille named "tenzu kursu" was formed in various shapes, i.e. oval, round, or rectangular. A measured amount of the drug preparation was compressed and shaped in a special brass mold named "tenzu kalibi" in Turkish. [...]

Prayers and ornamentations are engraved on the metal molds [...]. The expressions Deva al kulub (Drug for the heart) and Shifa al marghoob (The desired, yearned healing) inscribed on molds reinforce spirituality. [...] Inscriptions around the center of the other flower shaped pattern are Ferd, Hayy, Kayyum and feehi shifaun lin-naas (wherein is healing for mankind, Surah an-Nahl, verse 69). [...] Al-Hayy and Al-Qayyum are often used together. Al-Hayy signifies "ever-lasting life", and Al-Qayyum "self-existing life". [...] Sihhat bad (Have a good health) and Afiyet bad (Have a good appetite) are inscribed. [...] A. Suheyl Unver and Hayri Sozen published several tenzu prescriptions in their book "Turk Farmakaloji Tarihi I.", in 1960. [...] Tenzu prescriptions are found in several medical manuscripts kept in the Topkapi Palace Library, Suleymaniye Library and Istanbul University Rare Books Library.

Clay is a main ingredient [...]. Tiyn-i Tenzu is an unknown red colored clay. However, Terra Sigillata (Tiyn-i mahtum / muhurlu toprak) and Armenian Clay (Kil ermeni) are found in the prescriptions. [...] There are also animal products in the compositions, i.e. ambergris (amber), bezoar (badzehr), kermes (kirmiz), musk (misk), raw silk (harir-i ham / ham ipek), [...] and burnt deer antler (yanmisgeyik boynuzu). There are a wide variety of herbal drugs in the compositions, i.e. Acorus calamus [...], Aloe vera (Sabir), [...] Anchusa offinalis (Lisan-i sevr cicegi), Artemisia absinthium [...], Bambusa arundinaceae [...], Chenopodium album [...], Cinnamon (Darcin), Citrus aurantium [...], Crocus sativus (Za'feran), Embellia ribes [...], Gummi mastix [...], Heliotropium arborsecens [...], Nardustachys jatamansi [...], Potentilla reptans [...], Pterocarpus santalinus [...], Red rose/Rosa gallica [...], Rheum officinale (Ravend), Rumez acetosellaseed [...], Ruta graveolens (Keci Sadefi/Sedef Otu), Terminalia citrina [...], Terminalia chebula [...], Tormentilla (Tormentila).

Shaping and storage of these drugs are explained alongside some of the tenzu prescriptions. According to a recipe, all ingredients are beaten very thin on a porphyry (onyx marble) [...]. Each dose wrapped in gold foil is anointed an amount of almond oil. It is pressed into the mold, dried in the shade and stored in wood boxes. [...] Drugs in tablet form was an old tradition. In general, the preparation is poured onto a tray. [...] After dried in the shade, orange leaves are put between them. Stored in colored glass containers, they're reused when needed, squashed with water and drunk as a syrup. Also, flat pills made of a drachma weight were retained on the tongue in the mouth [...]. Although drugs in tablet form were used throughout Ottoman history either as a pastille or to be converted into syrup, the tenzu tablet molds were designed for the Ottoman sultans and members of the dynasty to make special tablets decorated with calligraphy [...].

[End of excerpt.]

All of these images are cropped screenshots of the PDF scan of the printed "conference works"; the PDF was uploaded online by Nil Sarı.

[edensflorist]

The Early Bloom and Symbolism of Crocus

Crocus flowers, among the first to bloom in late winter and early spring, are a delightful sign that warmer days are on the horizon. These small, vibrant flowers are celebrated for their resilience and the hopeful message they carry.

Historical Significance

Crocus have been cherished since ancient times, with origins tracing back to the Mediterranean and Asia. Thye are perhaps best known for their role in the production of saffron, derived from the saffron crocus (Crocus Sativus), which has been used for centuries as a spice, dye, and medicine. Beyond their practical uses, crocuses have been admired for their beauty and their ability to bloom even in the harshest conditions.

Symbolism

Hope and Renewal: As one of the first flowers to appear after winter, crocuses symbolize hope, renewal, and the arrival of spring. Their emergence from the cold ground signals the end of winter and the beginning of new life.

Youthful Joy and Cheerfulness: With their bright colors and delicate petals, crocuses represent youthful joy and cheerfulness, bringing a burst of color to the otherwise bleak landscape of early spring.

Resilience and Courage: The crocus's ability to bloom in cold, often snowy conditions makes it a symbol of resilience and courage, reminding us that beauty can thrive even in adversity. Modern Interpretations

In modern gardens, crocuses are often planted in clusters to create a striking early spring display. They are also popular as potted plants, bringing a touch of spring indoors. Their vibrant colors, ranging from deep purples to sunny yellows, make them a beloved choice for gardeners looking to add a splash of color after winter.

[aubrittigan]

Planting crocus bulbs, the kind that make saffron (Sativus)! Fingers crossed

Never been able to taste saffron, and I think I have a pretty sensitive palate? But maybe I just haven’t had in large enough quantities/fresh. Really excited to try again

[tattooed-alchemist]

I brought my saffron corm crop with me to the East Coast, and will be attempting to grow them in planters for the next year until I can get them back in the ground. I have 212 corms in four 12”-deep planters on the balcony of a 110-year-old house in Ithaca, New York, USA. Facing south!

I got these guys out of the wood shavings I packed them in for shipping, and into first the first weekend of September, and now, here we go!

[ghostspokebloggin]

'Saffron is a spice that comes from the flower of Crocus sativus, also known as the "Saffron Crocus". The flower's crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are dried and used as a seasoning and coloring agent in food.'

[thebotanicalarcade]

n100_w1150 by Biodiversity Heritage Library Via Flickr: Illustrations of medical botany : Philadelphia :R.P. Smith,1847. biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5877105

[urban-homesteading]

Saffron comes from the saffron crocus bulb (Crocus sativus), which is an autumn blooming crocus.  As long as you live somewhere with a growing season and where temperatures don’t regularly get below -10 degrees F, you can easily grow the world’s most expensive spice. 

The fall-blooming, purple-flowered saffron crocus grows from a bulb-like structure called a corm.

Plant the corms in spring or in the early fall, to a depth of about four to six inches.  Plant in well-drained soil that gets lots of sun.

When you plant your saffron crocus bulbs, place them in the ground at about 3 to 5 inches deep and at least 6 inches apart. 

About 50 to 60 saffron flowers will produce about 1 tablespoon of saffron spice, so keep this in mind when figuring how many to plant. Keep in mind that saffron crocus multiply rapidly, so in a few year’s time you will have more than enough.

As they are fall-blooming crocuses, you will plant them in the fall, but they will probably not bloom the year you plant them. Instead, you’ll see foliage in the spring, which will die back, and saffron flowers the following fall.

When the flower comes into bloom in the autumn, the elongated, red stigmas are plucked from the flower.

Spread the harvested stigmas on a cookie sheet to dry in a warm room until they easily crumble.

When stored in an air-tight container, dried saffron remains fresh for up to two years.

Each bulb produces one flower and each flower produces three stigmas.

As soon as the flowers fade, you can gently dig up the crocuses and separate the bulbs, replanting them immediately. Doing this yearly quickly results in a large colony, but if you only want to take on this task every three or four years, that’s okay. Just remember to divide them before the corms become over-crowded and production is affected.

[floriology-daily]

003. Crocus

Scientific name: Crocus Sativus

Due to their early blooming in spring, Crocus flowers represent rebirth, new beginnings, innocence, and joy. The Crocus flower is also tied to the Greek myth of Hermes and Crocus, where Hermes accidentally killed Crocus while playing Discus, and in his grief, turned Crocus's body into a flower. This is also one of the reasons the Crocus symbolizes rebirth.