[RESOURCE IDENTIFIED > SILVERY CROCUS]
Specimen: Crocus biflorum. Identification: Silvery Crocus / Striped Crocus. Status: SAFE / EDIBLE (EMERGENCY) / NON-MEDICINAL. Hazard: Resource Dilution.
CROSS-REFERENCE PROTOCOL
⚠️ IDENTIFICATION CHECK: This specimen is a cousin to Saffron. While safe, it lacks the potent medicinal safranal threads. Cross-reference with [RESOURCE > SAFFRON] to ensure you aren’t wasting harvest time on low-value threads.
FIELD IDENTIFICATION
The Silvery Crocus is a hardy, reliable bloomer. In the field, its primary function is to serve as a “Safety Baseline.” Because it is a true Crocus (Iris family), it follows the Rule of Three, helping scouts calibrate their eyes before searching for the high-value Saffron.
Primary Identification Markers:
- The Stamen Count: Open the flower. It has three yellow stamens. This distinguishes it from the 6-stamen Assassins.
- The Petals: Six petals, usually white to pale lilac. The “Gold Standard” marker is the 3 to 5 dark purple stripes on the outside of the three outer petals.
- The Stigmas: Short and yellow-to-orange. They do not droop out of the flower like Saffron’s long crimson threads.
- Bloom Time: Traditionally a spring bloomer, but certain variants (like those in the Besler archives) appear in late winter or early spring “Sector Bleed” windows.
THE APOTHECARY LOG: HISTORICAL APPLICATIONS
Emergency Nutrition: Unlike the toxic bulbs in this quadrant, the corms of Crocus biflorum were historically eaten in times of famine. They are small and starchy.
Preparation: Corms must be roasted or boiled to break down raw starches. The flavor is described as “nut-like” but meager in caloric density. Note: Never eat a corm unless you have 100% verified the 3-stamen flower during the bloom cycle.
RECIPES (EMERGENCY PROTOCOL)
1. Roasted Corms: Clean the fibrous skin from the corms. Roast in hot coals for 10-15 minutes. High survival effort for low caloric reward, but safe for the gut.
2. The Yellow Wash: The short yellow stigmas can be steeped (50 stigmas per 50ml water) to create a mild yellow dye for marking gear, though it lacks the antiseptic power of true Saffron.
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Bunker Advisory: The Safe Baseline |
- THE 3-STAMEN CALIBRATION: Use this plant to train new scouts. If they can count the 3 stamens here, they are ready to identify Saffron.
- THE STRIPE TEST: If the petals have 3 distinct “racing stripes” on the back, it is the Silvery Crocus. Safe to touch, safe to roast.
- LOW MEDICINAL VALUE: Do not use this for mood stabilization or as a styptic. It is a calorie source, not a medicine.
BUNKER CULTIVATION NOTES
Sector Value: Low. Keep in perimeter gardens as a “sentinel” plant. Its early bloom signals the end of winter, but it shouldn’t take up valuable indoor hydroponic space reserved for high-yield medical resources like Saffron.
Historical information compiled from botanical archives. No medical claims made. Verification is mandatory.