N I G 



N I G 



shed or house, where the plants are hung up by 

 pairs, upon lines, leaving a space between that 

 they may not touch one another. In this state 

 they may remain to sweat and dry. When per- 

 fectly dry, the leaves are stripped from the stalks, 

 and made into small bundles tied with one of the 

 leaves. These bundle.; are laid in heaps, and 

 covered with blankets. Care is taken not to 

 overheat them, for which reason the heaps are 

 laid open to the air from time to time and 

 spread abroad. This operation is repeated till 

 no more heat is perceived in the heaps, and the 

 Tobacco is then stowed in casks for exporta- 

 tion." But, " In China, where the use of to- 

 bacco both in snuff and for smoking is very 

 general, buildings are not thought necessary, ac- 

 cording to sir George Staunton, as they are in 

 the West Indies, for curing it ; there being little 

 apprehension of rain to injure the leaves when 

 plucked. They are hung on cords to dry 

 without any shelter, upon the spot in which 

 thev grew." 



It Is probable that this plant might be grown 

 with advantage in this climate if it were not 

 prohibited. 



These sorts, when cultivated for the purpose 

 of ornament, produce a fine effect by their leaves 

 and Mowers in the autumn, and alfo afford much 

 variety. 



NIGELLA, a genus containing plants of the 

 hardy herbaceous flowering annual kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Polyandr'ia 

 Pentagi/nia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Multisiliquce, 



The characters are: that there is no calyx: 

 the corolla has five petals, ovate, flat, blunt, 

 spreading, more contracted at the base: the 

 nectaries eight, placed in a ring, very short; 

 each two-lipped; outer lip larger, lower, bifid, 

 fiat, convex, marked with two dots; inner lip 

 shorter, narrower, from ovate ending in a line : 

 the stamina have numerous awl-shaped fila- 

 ments, shorter than the petals. Anthers com- 

 pressed, blunt, erect: the pistillum has several 

 germs (five to ten), oblong, convex, compress- 

 ed; erect, ending in styles which are awl-shap- 

 ed, angular, very long, but revolute, permanent: 

 stigmas longitudinal, adnate: the pericarpium 

 capsules as many, oblong, compressed, acumi- 

 nate, connected on the inside by the suture. 

 gaping on the inside at top: the seeds very 

 many, angular, and rugged. 



The species cultivated are: 1. N. damascene!, 

 Common Fennel-flower; 2. N. sativa, Small 

 Fennel-flower; 3. AT. arvensis, Field Fennel- 

 flower; 4. N. Hispanica, Spanish Fennel- 

 flower ; 5. A', orient alls } Yellow Fennel- 

 flower. 



The first rises with an upright branching stalk 

 a loot and a half hign: the leaves much longer 

 and finer than those of the third: the flowers 

 are large, pale blue, with a five-leaved involucre 

 under each, longer than the flower ; they are 

 succeeded bv laiger swelling seed-vessels, with 

 five horns at the^top. It is a native of the 

 South of Europe, flowering from June to Sep- 

 tember. 



From the fine cut leaves about the flower, it 

 has the names of Fennel-flower, Devil-i/i-a- 

 bush, and Love-in-a-mist ; but the first is be- 

 come obsolete. 



There is a variety with single white flowers, 

 and another with double flowers, which is fre- 

 quently cultivated in gardens with other an- 

 nuals for ornament. 



The second species rises to the same height as 

 the preceding : the leaves are not so finely cut, 

 and are a little hairy: at the top of each stalk is 

 one flower, composed of five white petals, which 

 are slightly cut at their end into three points; 

 these are succeeded by oblong swelling seed- 

 vessels with five horns at the top, filled with 

 small pale-coloured seeds. It is a native of 

 Candia and Egypt, flowering from June to Sep- 

 tember. 



The third rises with slender stalks near a foot 

 high, either single or branching out at the bot- 

 tom, and having a few very fine-cut leaves^ 

 somewhat like those of Dill. Each branch is 

 terminated byeue star-pointed flower, of a pale 

 blue colour, without any leafy involucre: they 

 are succeeded by capsules, having five short 

 horns, inclining different ways at the top, and 

 are filled with rough black seeds. It is a native 

 of Germany, &c. flowering from June to Sep- 

 tember. 



There is a variety with white flowers, and 

 another with double flowers. 



The fourth species rises near a foot and half 

 high; the lower leaves are finely cut; but those 

 on the stalks are cut into broader segments: the 

 flowers are larger than those of the other species, 

 and of a fine blue colour, with green veins at 

 the back : the nectaries of a sea-green colour : 

 the pistils are of equal length with the petals ; 

 thev with the stamens are of a deep purple or 

 puce colour: the capsule has five horns, and 

 is of a firmer texture than any of the other. It 

 grows naturally in Spain and the South of 

 France, flowering from June to September. 

 There is a variety with double flowers. 

 The fifth rises with a branching stalk a foot 

 and a half high; with pretty long leaves, finely 

 divided : the flowers are produced at the end of 

 the branches : the petals are yellowish ; at the 

 base of these are placed eight nectaries, between 



