48 RANUNCULACER. XXVI. NIGELLA. 
bracteas solitary tricuspidate. Ovaries 2 or 3 connected, ovate, 
scabrous. 
Clawed-petalled Garidella. Fl. June, July. Pl. 1 foot. 
Cult. Inconspicuous annual plants; only require to be sown 
in the open border. 
XXVI. NIGE'LLA (from niger, black, because of the colour 
of the seeds, which is the part of the plant known in cookery.) 
Tourn. inst. 258. t. 134; Lin. gen. no. 685, Geert. fruct. 2. p. 
174. t. 118. D. C. syst. 1. p. 326. prod. 1. p. 48. 
Lin. syst. Polyandria, Pentagynia. Calyx of 5 coloured 
petal-like spreading deciduous sepals. Petals small, from 5 to 
10, 2-lipped, with a hollow nectariferous claw. Stamens nu- 
merous. Ovaries from 5 to 10, more or less joined together at 
the base, each terminated by the long simple style. Capsules 
more or less connected together, terminated by the elongated 
styles, opening on the inside, many-seeded. Embryo linear.— 
Erect, annual, smoothish herbs. Root slender, perpendicular, 
fibrous at top. Leaves finely cut, like Fennel. Flowers solitary, 
on the top of the stems or branches. Capsules usually ornamented 
with callose dots or glands. The seeds have an acrid aromatic 
taste, especially those of the species in Section II., and are there- 
fore used as a popular condiment. 
The genus is called Fennel-Flower in English, because the’ 
leaves resemble those of Fennel. 
Sect. I. Nicetxa’strum (from Nigella and astrum, an affixed 
signification, like) Moench. meth. $13 and 311. D. C. syst. 1. p. 
326. prod. 1. p. 48. Sepals yellow. Stamens disposed in one 
row. Capsules compressed, connected at their base. Seeds flat, 
orbicular, 
1 N. cornicura’ta (D. C. syst. 1. p. 326.) capsules from 3 to 
5, smooth, connected at their base, diverging and reflexed at the 
top; styles arched outwardly. ©.H. Native —? 
yellow. 
Horned-capsuled Fennel Flower. 
Pl. 4 foot. 
2 N. crtta‘ris (D. C. syst. 1. p. 327.) capsules from 8 to 10, 
hispid, connected at their base, stellately spreading; styles 
straight. ©.H. Native of the Levant near Bairout. Deless. 
icon. sel, 1. t. 45. Flowers yellow. 
Ciliary-fruited Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju. Sep. Clt.? Pl. 1 foot. 
3 N. ortenta‘ris (Lin. spec. 753.) capsules from 5 to 10, 
smooth, connected together from the base almost to the middle 
hardly diverging ; styles straight. ©.H. Native about Aleppo 
in corn fields, and in fields in Eastern Caucasus and Middle 
Iberia. Sims, bot. mag. t. 1264. Geert. fruct. 2. p. 174. t. 
118. f. 1. Flowers yellow. Seeds girded by a membranous 
margin. 
Eastern Fennel Flower, Fl. June, Sep. Clt. 1699. P). 13 foot. 
Flowers 
FI. June, Sep. Clt. 1822. 
Sect. II. NIGELLA`RIA (altered from Nigella, see) D. C. syst. 
1. p. 328. prod. 1. p. 49. Sepals spreading, bluish. 
. . , Stamens 
disposed in many rows, collected into 8 or 10 bundles. 
Seeds 
ovate, angular. 
4 N. Hispra’nica (Lin. spec. 753.) anthers poi 
i an. spec. 753. s pointed; styles 
from 8 to 10, erect: p P 
capsules smooth, with one nerve on the 
back, connected beyond the middle into an obconical fruit: stem 
erect, smooth, with erect branches. ©. H. Native of the 
South of Spain, and Barbary, in corn fields. Desf. fl. atl. p- 
430. t. 212. Sims, bot. mag. t. 1265. Flowers usually blue, but 
are sometimes white or cream-coloured. ? 
Spanish Fennel Flower. F]. Ju. Sep. Clt. 1629. Pl. 1 to 2 ft. 
5 N. ranicura'cea (D. C. syst. 1. p. 328.) anthers pointed ; 
styles from 5 to 6, erect ; capsules smooth, 3-nerved on the back, 
connected beyond the middle into an obconical fruit; stem erect, 
smooth, with somewhat divaricating branches. ©.H. Native 
of Tauria in corn fields:\—Moris. hist. 3. p. 516. sect. 12. t. 18. 
f. 6.2 Seeds triquetrous. Flowers from white to blue. 
Fennel-like Fennel Flower. Fl. June, Sep. Clt.? Pl. 1 foot. 
6 N. pivarica‘ra (Beaupre in D. C. syst. 1. p. 329.) anthers 
pointed; styles 5, erectish ; capsules smooth, connected beyond 
the middle into an obconical fruit ; stem smooth, with very diva- 
ricating branches. ©. H. Native of Tauria and Egypt. Deless. 
icon. sel. 1. t. 46. Flowers blueish. 
Divaricate-branched Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju. Sep. Clt.? Pl.12 ft. 
7 N. arve’nsis (Lin. spec. 753.) anthers pointed ; styles from 
5 to 7, circinnately revolute outwardly; capsules smooth, con- 
nected beyond the middle into an obconical fruit, which is nar- 
rowest at the base ; stem smooth, with rather diverging branches. 
©.H. Native of middle and south Europe in corn fields, also 
in the north of Africa. Bull. herb. t. 126. Lam. ill. t. 888. f. 1. 
Smith, fl. gree. t. 512. Schkuhr. handb. 2. p. 92. t. 146. Flowers 
white or blue, single or double. The seeds are sometimes used 
instead of those of N. sativa; but they are not so aromatic, nor 
have they the same pleasant smell. 
Corn-field Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju.Sep. Clt. 1683. Pl. 1 to 13 ft. 
8 N. arisra‘ra (Sibth. and Smith, fi. grec. t. 510. prod. 1. 
p- 373.) anthers pointed ; capsules connected into a turbinate 
fruit; stem smooth; flowers surrounded by a leafy involucrum. 
©. H. Native near Athens. Habit almost of N. Damascena. 
Flowers blue. 
Awned Fennel Flower. Fl. June, Sep. Pl. 12 foot. 
9 N. sativa (Lin. spec. 753.) anthers blunt; capsules muri- 
cated, connected almost to the top into an ovate fruit ; stem erect, 
rather hairy; flowers naked. ©. H. Native of Montpelier 
and Barbary in corn fields. Smith, fl. grec. t. 511. Flowers 
blueish. . 
Var. B, Crética (D. C. syst. 1. p. 331.) styles longer than the 
flowers.—Clus. hist. 2. p. 108.—Moris. hist. 3. p. 515. sect. 12. 
t 18. f£. 2. N. segetatis, Bieb. fl. taur. 2. p. 16. Flowers 
lue. 
Var. y, citrina (D. C. 1. c.) seeds yellow; flowers double.— 
Moris. hist. 3. p. 516. sect. 12. t. 18. f. 5. 
Var. 6, I'ndica (Roxb. mss. ex. Fleming in jour. bot. 1814. 4, 
p. 203. jour. pharm. 1814. p. 253.) stem and leaves smooth. 
Native of thé East Indies. . 
Formerly the seeds of N. sativa were much in use as a carmi- 
native, stimulant, and errhine, but this medicine is become de- 
servedly obsolete. They are still used in some parts of Ger- 
many and Asia in cookery instead of spice, being a pleasant 
aromatic. They are said to be extensively used in the adultera- 
tion of pepper as well as those of N. arvénsis. The leaves are 
also sometimes used. 
Cultivated Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju. Sep. Clt. 1548. Pl. 134 
Secr. III. Eroza‘ros (from epoe, eros, love, and Baroc, ba 
tos?) D: C. prod. 1. p. 49. Sepals white or blue. Stamens 
numerous, disposed in many rows. Capsules 5, connected together 
into a 10-celled fruit, with the 5 inner cells seminiferous, and the 
5 outer ones empty. Involucrum multifid, leafy, situated under , 
the flower. 
10 N. Damasce'na (Lin. spec. 753.) anthers blunt 5 carpels $, 
2-celled, connected even to the top into an ovate-globose caps tj 
flowers surrounded by a leafy involucrum; sepals spreading: 
©. H. Native of the south of Europe, from Portugal to Tauri, 
in cultivated fields. Curt. bot. mag. t. 22. Smith, fl. græc. t 
509. Schkuhr. hand. t. 146. Gært. fruct. 2. p. 174. t. 118. £} 
Flowers white or blue, single or double. 
Damascus Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju. Sep. Clt. 1570. P]. 1 to? f 
11 N. coarcra‘ra (Gmel. fl. bad. 2. p. 502.) anthers blunt; 
