The B P. i T I S H HERBAL. 
213 
GENUS VI. 
G I T H. 
I G E L L J. 
THE flower confifts of five petals regularly difpoled ; and has within it eight glands, that make 1 
very fmgular and beautiful appearance : they are circularly difpofed, and are fhort, and of a la- 
biaced form ; the upper lip being broadeft, and is fpotted the lower narrower, and plain. Thefeed- 
vefiel is large, round, and fuelled in the manner of a bladder, and contains five cells, fo diftimft 
that it may perhaps be mora properly faid to confitl of five feparate capfules joined together. The 
feeds are numerous, and there is no cup. 
i,inn3?us places this among the polyandria polygynia \ 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 tjcnus fc^ems to connect together the plants with many capfules to a flower, and thofe with 
one. There arc fevcral ipeclcs of it; and in fome the divifion of tlie whole is lefs, and in others 
more dillinfl: in fome it is a fingle membranous feed-veflel, 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 connected together, yet are in a manner each perfed and 
entire. 
]. Single blue Nlgella. 
Nigella Jlore f.mpHci c^ruko involucro foliofo cin8o. 
The root is long, flender, divided, and fur- 
niHied with many fibres. 
The firfl: leaves grow in a tUifter, and part lie 
upon the ground, part Hand eredt: they arelarge, 
and finely divided into numerous fegments, which 
ate extremely narrow, and ot a dead green. 
The ftalks are numerous, round, firm, up- 
right, and a foot high. 
The leaves Hand alternately on thefe, and per- 
fei5l!y rcfemble thofe from the root, bein^, divi- 
ded into the fame narrow and numerous feg- 
ments. 
The flower is large, and blue, fometimes near 
white, fometimes of a fine, clear, and llrong blue, 
and fometimes varioufly fliadcd between thefe two 
colours. 
One flower ftands ufually at the top of each 
ftalk, and at the tops of the branches. 
The feed-vefPel is large and roundilli, and con- 
tains numerous black, rough feedi, in five dif- 
tinfl ceils. 
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 fecd-vefl^els, and make in either fl:ate a beauti- 
iui 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 cails it Nigella angujlif oil a flon magna 
fmplici carulco. Others, after Mathiolus, Melan- 
tkium fyhejlrc. 
This fpecies by culture aflx)rds the beautiful 
double kind, which is called the damafk nigdlg^ 
and by our gardeners the de'vil in the hujjj. 
2. Single white Nigella. 
Nigella Jicre JimpUci alho iivAo. 
The root is long and flender, and has a few 
fibres. 
The firft leaves are large, divided into a 
multitude of fmall, narrow fegments, and of a 
deep green. 
N*^ XXIL 
The flalk is round, firm, upright, and very 
much branched : it is a foot or more in height, 
and of a paic green. 
The leaves are placed irregularly on it, and in 
all refpefts refemble thofe from the root. 
The flowers are moderately large and white : 
they ftand fingly at the tops ot the branches, and 
have not that clufter of leaves under them which 
is fecn in the blue kind. 
The feed-veflTel is large and oblong, and con- 
tains five cells, very plainly difl:inguiflied on the 
outfide. 
The feeds are large and black. 
It is a native of the Eafl:, and flowers in Au- 
gLlft. 
C. Bauhine calls \t Nigella fore minors fmpUci 
crjidido. 
This by culture afl^brds alfo double flowers; but 
they are not fo large, or nearly fo beautiful as the 
others. 
3. Spanifli Nigella. 
Nigella fiore maximo c^ruJeo. 
The root is long, flender, and furniflied with 
numerous fibres, 
The firfl: leaves are very large, and of a deep 
green ; and they are divided into numerous, long, 
and narrow fegments. 
The flalk is round, upright, branched, and a 
foot and a half high. 
The leaves fl:and 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. 
The flowers flrand at the tops of the branches 
fingly i and they are very large, and of a beauti- 
ful blue. 
The feed-vefl'el 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 Augufl:. 
C. Bauhine calls it Nigella latifoUa flere majore 
fimplici c.eruleo. Others, Nigella Hifpanica masi-:: 
ma ; and fome only Nigella Hifpanica, 
l ii 4. Broad-' 
