133 FLORA HISTORICA. 



LOVE IN A PUZZLE, LOVE IN A MIST, 

 DEVIL IN A BUSH, or GAKDEN FEN- 

 NEL FLOWER. Nigella Damascena. 



Natural Order MuUisiliquce. Rmuniadacecu, Juss. 

 A Genus of the Polyandria Pentagynia Class. 



The neglect of the poets with regard to this sin- 

 gular flower has been amply compensated by the 

 attention of the nomenclators of plants, as in addi- 

 tion to the names, which head the history of this 

 floral curiosity, we find it sometimes called Gith, 

 Bishop's-wort, and Saint Catherine's flower. 



We meet with the same success in our re- 

 searches in the French language, which offers a 

 long list of names but not a single couplet. It is 

 frequently called Cheveiix cle Venus, Venus's Hair, 

 Patte d'aralfjnee, Spider's Claw, Barhe jB^<?«e, Blue- 

 beard, &c. 



The name of Nigella is given to this plant from 

 the blackness of the seeds. That of fennel-flower 

 is now nearly obsolete, although it gives a better 

 idea of the plant than any other English name, 

 since the blue petals of this flower are surrounded 

 by linear leaflets similar to the foliage of the Fen- 



