"The saffron flower must be hand picked at dawn on any of the 15 to 20 days in which it is in bloom mostly during end-October. The flowers are collected in baskets, and transported to the villages where the precious stigmas are removed by hand. "
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/3896113?bs=1#marker_submit

American Heritage Dictionary defines Saffron as:

NOUN: 1a. A corm-producing plant (Crocus sativus) native to the Old World , having purple or white flowers with orange stigmas. b. The dried aromatic stigmas of this plant, used to color foods and as a cooking spice and dyestuff.

Saffron is most expensive spice on the Planet. Each plant structure has only one Saffron filament. Saffron filaments are actually the dried stigmas of the Saffron flower.
http://www.bellasaffron.com/