XVI International Botanical Congess
I am a small iridacean grown for the production of saffron. My origin is in Mediterranean area. Now I am looking for my parents. Different authors identified them as C. thomasii, C. cartwrightianus, C. hadriaticus, C. oreocreticus.. Recently Grilli and Zanier helped me on this research and have found that all saffron cultivated in different countries are brothers. In fact, DNA analysis by RAPD has given similar bands of the amplified regions by means of over 10 random primers. The analysis of DNA by RAPD of the possible ancestors C. thomasii, C. cartwrightianus, C. hadriaticus has indicated a similar homology of C. sativus to C. cartwrightianus as well as to C. thomasii but different from C. hadriaticus. Since some doubts still remain might you help me on solving the millenary problem of my parents?