One of the most expensive spices of the world the price of saffron sometimes exceeds that of gold as well. The origin of this luxurious spice referred extensively in Greek and Roman mythologies (Remember the stories of ancient Greek sailors setting off on a voyage to the remote land of Cilicia to get the best saffron?) has been a mystery so far. However in a recent research biologists from TU Dresden's Institute of Botany have been able to figure out where this enigmatic spice emanates from: The wild species Crocus cartwrightianus. While saffron has been immortalised by folklores and mythologies