Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigmas are likely to be the most expensive spice on earth given the fine-scale processing required to harvest the stigmas and the tiny amount of crocin, safranin and picrocrocin that can be found therein (1). Saffron embryogenic callus has a generally nodular appearance and takes about 6 weeks to form from corm tissue cultures (2). At the nodular stage, callus contains proembryonic structures or proglobular embryos that develop into globular embryos after 3 weeks in culture, into monopolar embryos (containing a meristem and cotyledon) after 7 weeks in culture and into bipolar embryos (consisting of an apical meristem with a cotyledon at one end and a minicorm at the opposite end) after 10 weeks in culture (3).