The BRITISH HERBAL ~~ 214 
Geshe ONG a Uae s VIL 
Geigy be 
IN eG eis eee: 
HE flower confitts of five petals regularly difpofed ; and has within it eight glands, that make a 
very fingular and beautiful appearance: they are circularly difpofed, and are fhort, and of a las 
biated form ; the upper lip being broadeft, and is fpotted ; the lower narrower, and plain. The feed- 
vefel is large, round, and {welled in the manner of a bladder, and contains five cells, fo diftine& 
that it may perhaps be more properly faid to confit of five feparate capfules joined together. The 
feeds are numerous, and there is no cup. . j : . 
Linnzus places this among the polyandria polyg ynia ; the threads in the centre of the flower being 
numerous, and fixed to the receptacle, and the ftyles from the rudiment of the fruit alfo nu- 
merous. 
This genus feems to conneét together the plants with many capfules to a flower, and thofe with 
one. There are feveral {pecies of it; and in fome the divifion of the whole is lefs, and in others 
more diftint: in fome it is a fingle membranous feed-veffel, divided only into feveral cells, in the 
manner of many of the preceding ; and in others it is more and more plainly compofed of feveral fe- 
parate capfules, which, though firmly conneéted together, yet are in 4 manner each perfect and 
entire. 
1. Single blue Nigella. 
Nigella flore fimplici cerdleo involucro foliofo cintto. 
The root is long, flender, divided, and fur- 
nifhed with many fibres. 
The firft leaves growin a clufter, and part lie 
upon the ground, part ftand erect: they are large, 
and finely divided into numerous fegments, which 
are extremely narrow, and of a dead green. 
The ftalks are numerous, round, firm, up- 
sight, and a foot high. 
The leaves ftand alternately on thefé, and per- 
fectly refemble thofe from the root, being divi- 
ded into the fame narrow and numerous feg- 
mients. 
The flower is large, and blue, fometimes near 
white, fometimes of a fine, clear, and ftrong blue, 
and fometimes varioufly fhaded between thefe two 
colours. 
One flower ftands ufually at the top of each 
ftalk, and at the tops of the branches. 
The feed-veffel is large and roundifh, and con- 
tains numerous black, rough feeds, in five dif- 
tinct cells. 
There ftand a number of fmall leaves by way 
of cup round the flower, for it has no proper cup 
of its own, and thefe afterwards gather up round 
the feed-veffels, and make in either ftate a beauti- 
ful appearance. 
It is a native of Italy, and other of the warmer 
parts of Europe: they have it in their corn-fields 
and vineyards, and it flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Nigella anguftifolia flore magno 
Simplici ceruleo. Others, after Mathiolus, Melan- 
thium fylueftre. ; ; 
This fpecies by culture affords the beautiful 
double kind, which is called the dama/e nigellg, 
and by our gardeners the devil in the bufh. 
2. Single white Nigella. 
Nigella flore fimplici albo nudo. 
_ The root is long and flender, and has a few 
fibres. - ; 
.The firft leaves are large, divided into a 
multitude of fmiall, narrow fegments, and of a 
deep green. 
Ne XXIL 
¢ 
The ftalk is round, firm, upright, and very 
much branched: it is a foot or more in height, 
and of a pale green. ‘ 
The leaves are placed irregularly on it, and in 
all refpects refemble thofe from the root. 
The flowers are moderately large and white : 
they ftand fingly at the tops of the branches, and 
have not that clufter of leaves under them which 
is feen in the blue kind. 
The feed-veffel is large and oblong, and con- 
tains five cells, very plainly diftinguifhed on the 
outfide. 
The feeds are large and black. 
It is anative of the Eaft, and flowers in Au- 
guft. ; 
C. Bauhine calls it Nigella flore minoré fimplict 
candido. : 
This by culture affords alfo double flowers; but 
they are not fo large, or nearly fo beautiful as the 
others. 
3. Spanith Nigella. 
Nigella flore maximo caerulea: 
The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with 
numerous fibres. 
The firft leaves are very large, and of a deep 
green ; and they are divided into numerous, long, 
and narrow fegments. 
The ftalk is round, upright, branched, and a 
foot and a half high, 
The leaves ftand irregularly on it: and they 
are of a deep green, and divided in the fame man- 
ner as thofe from the root, but into broader feg- 
ments. <3 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the branches 
fingly ; and they are very large; and of a beauti- 
ful blue. , 
The feed-veffel is large, rounded, and formed 
into five parts, containing in five cells a great 
quantity of rough feed. 
Ic is a native of Spain, and of other the warmer 
parts of Europe, and flowers in Auguft. 
C. Bauhine calls it Nigella latifolia flore majore 
Jinplict ceruleo. Others, Nigella Hifpanica maxi- 
ma; and fome only Nigella Hi/panica. 
lii 4: Broad- 
