The wild precursor of domesticated saffron crocus was likely " Crocus cartwrightianus ", which originated in Crete or Central Asia; " triploid that is " self-incompatible " and male sterile; it undergoes aberrant meiosis and is hence incapable of independent sexual reproduction & mdash; all propagation is by vegetative multiplication via manual " divide-and-set " of a starter clone or by interspecific hybridisation.
