Meadow Saffron - Yunabán the witch series
Welcome back to the Yunabán the witch series :)
I've been to a forest clearing a few weeks ago and I've found these beautiful little flowers. I remembered that they aren't crocus. I also remembered that they're toxic but just couldn't figure out the name of them. They're called "meadow saffron". And as I mentioned, they're toxic, for animals and humans.
The meadow saffron blooms from August to November on, as the name says, meadows.
When they start to bloom in August they've already lost their green leaves. They look very similar to wild garlic, which can be dangerous. The only way to make sure you eat the right one, is the smell. Only wild garlic has this specific garlic like smell.
As the whole plant is toxic, there isn't really a use for the meadow saffron. At least in your everyday life. Nowadays it's only used in homeopathic remedies.
Ancient cultures used to make tinctures and salves off of them to fight gout. It was a very risky treatment because it's hard to get the right dose.
The meadow saffron looks very similar to the crocus. So if you see one in your neighbours garden, it might just be an ordinary crocus :)
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