RANUNCULACE^E. XXVI. NIGELLA. 



bracteas solitary tricuspidate. Ovaries 2 or 3 connected, ovate, 

 scabrous. 



C7arof-petalled Garidella. Fl. June, July. PI. 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. Gaert. fruct. 2. p. 

 174. t. 118. D. C. syst..l.p. 326. prod. 1. p. 48. 



LIN. SYST. Polydndria, 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. NIGELLA'STKUM (from Nigella an&astrum, an affixed 

 signification, like) Mcench. meth. 31 S 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. CORNICULA'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. Q. H. Native ? Flowers 

 yellow. 



//orned-capsuled Fennel Flower. Fl. June, Sep. Clt. 1822. 

 PI. | foot. 



2 N. CILIA'RIS (D. C. syst. 1. p. 327.) capsules from 8 to 10, 

 hispid, connected at their base, stellately spreading ; styles 

 straight. O- H. Native of the Levant near Bairout. Deless. 

 icon. sel. 1. t. 45. Flowers yellow. 



Ciliary- fruited Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju. Sep. Clt.? PI. 1 foot. 



3 N. ORIENTA'LIS (Lin. spec. 753.) capsules from 5 to 10, 

 smooth, connected together from the base almost to the middle, 

 hardly diverging ; styles straight. O- H. Native about Aleppo 

 in corn fields, and in fields in Eastern Caucasus and Middle 

 Iberia. Sims, bot. mag. t. 1264. Gaert. fruct. 2. p. 174. t. 

 118. f. 1. Flowers yellow. Seeds girded by a membranous 

 margin. 



Eastern Fennel Flower. Fl. June, Sep. Clt. 1699. PL ] J foot. 



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 1 bundles. Seeds 

 ovate, angular. 



4 N. HISPA'NICA (Lin. spec. 753.) anthers pointed ; styles 

 from 8 to 10, erect: capsules smooth, with one nerve on the 

 back, connected beyond the middle into an obconical fruit ; stem 

 erect, smooth, with erect branches. Q. H. Native of the 

 South of Spain, and Barbary, in corn fields. Desf. fl. all. p. 

 430. t. 212. Sims, bot. mag. t. 1265. Flowers usually blue, but 

 are sometimes white or cream-coloured. 



Spanish Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju. Sep. Clt. 1629. PI. 1 to 2 ft. 



5 N. FCENICULA'CEA (D. C. syst. 1. p. 328.) anthers pointed; 

 styles from 5 to 6, erect ; capsules smooth, 3-nervecl on the back, 



connected beyond the middle into an obconical fruit ; stem erect, 

 smooth, with somewhat divaricating branches. O- H. Native 

 of Tauria in corn fields. Moris, hist. 3. p. 516. sect. 12. t. 18. 

 f. 6. ? Seeds triquetrous. Flowers from white to blue. 



Fennel-like Fennel Flower. Fl. June, Sep. Clt. ? PI. 1 foot. 



6 N. DIVARICA'TA (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. O- H. Native of Tauria and Egypt. Deless. 

 icon. sel. '1 t. 46. Flowers blueish. 



ZHoancaYe-branched Fennel Flower. Fl.Ju. Sep. Clt.? Pl.l^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. 

 O- 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. graec. 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. satlva ; 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 lift. 



8 N. ARISTA'TA (Sibth. and Smith, fl. graec. t. 510. prod. 1. 

 p. 373.) anthers pointed ; capsules connected into a turbinate 

 fruit ; stem smooth ; flowers surrounded by a leafy involucrum. 

 Q. H. Native near Athens. Habit almost of N. Damascena. 

 Flowers blue. 



^wned Fennel Flower. Fl. June, Sep. PL 1 3 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. Q. H. Native of Montpelier 

 and Barbary in corn fields. Smith, fl. graec. t. 511. Flowers 

 blueish. 



Var. ft, Cretica (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 

 blue. 



Var. y, citrina (D. C. 1. c.) seeds yellow; flowers double. 

 Moris, hist. 3. p. 516. sect. 12. t. 18. f. 5. 



Var. , I'ndica (Roxb. mss. ex. Fleming in jour. bot. 1814.4. 

 p. 203. jour, pharm. 1814. p. 253.) stem and leaves smooth. 

 Native of the 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. arvensis. The leaves are 

 also sometimes used. 



Cultivated Fennel Flower. Fl. Ju. Sep. Clt. 1548. PL lift. 



SECT. III. EROBA'TOS (from ipos, eras, love, and /Sctroe, 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. Involucrun\multifid, leafy, situated under 

 the flower. 



10 N.DAMA5CE v NA(Lin. spec. 753.) anthers blunt ; carpels 5, 

 2-celled, connected even to the top into an ovate-globose capsule ; 

 flowers surrounded by a leafy involucrum ; sepals spreading. 

 O- H. Native of the south of Europe, from Portugal to Tauria, 

 in cultivated fields. Curt. bot. mag. t. 22. Smith, fl. graec. t. 

 509. Schkuhr. hand. t. 146. Gaert. fruct. 2. p. 174. t. 118. f. 1. 

 Flowers white or blue, single or double. 



Damascus Fennel Flower. Fl.Ju. Sep. Clt. 1570. Pl.lto2ft. 



11 N. COARCTA'TA (Gmel. fl. bad. 2. p. 502.) anthers blunt; 



