Which part of saffron plant is used to obtain the spice saffron ?

Saffron is a highly valued spice derived from the Crocus sativus plant, commonly known as the saffron crocus. The specific part of the plant used to produce the spice is the dry stigma [t1][t4]. Each flower typically contains three vivid crimson stigmas, which are the thread-like parts of the flower's female reproductive system (pistil) [t2][t8]. These stigmas are meticulously harvested by hand and then dried to transform into the precious saffron threads used in culinary and medicinal applications [t4][t7]. Due to the extremely low yield—requiring approximately 75,000 blossoms to produce just one pound of spice—and the intensive labor involved in hand-picking and separating the delicate stigmas from the petals, saffron remains the most expensive spice in the world [t1][t2][t5]. While other parts like petals are sometimes used in traditional medicine, the spice itself is exclusively the dried stigma [t1][t2].