N I G 
upon pi'etty long foot-ftalks. The flowers are pro- 
duced in loofe panicles at the end of the branches ; 
thefe have tubes about an inch long, fhaped like a 
club •, the brim is (lightly cut into nine obtufe feg- 
ments, which are reflexed •, they are of a yellowifh 
green colour, and are fucceeded by roundfth capfules, 
filled with very final! feeds. It flowers about the 
fame time with the other forts. 
The feeds of the ninth fort were fent from Peru with 
thofe of the former, by the younger de Juffieu ; the 
ftalk of this is round, and rifes near four feet high, 
fending out two or three branches from the lower 
part ; the leaves are large, heart-fhaped, and a little 
waved ; they are very clammy, handing upon long 
foot-ftalks. The flowers grow in loofe fpikes at the 
top of the ftalk, having fhort open tubes, which are 
curved almoft like the Tip flowers j they are of a dull 
purple colour ; the empalement is unequally cut, one 
of the fegments being twice the fize of the other. 
The tenth fort was dtlcovered by the late Dr. Houf- 
toun at La Vera Cruz, who fent the feeds to England. 
This hath a pretty thick taper root, which ftrikes 
deep in the ground at the top comes out fix or le- 
ven oval fpear-fhaped leaves, which fpread on the fur- 
face of the ground ; they are about the fize of thofe 
of the common Primrofe, but are of a deeper green ; 
the ftalk rifes about a foot high, branching into three 
or four divifipns, at each of thefe is placed one fmall 
leaf ; the branches are terminated by a loofe fpike of 
flowers, which are fmall, tubulous, and of a yellow- 
ifh green colour, having very fhort empalements, 
which are cut at the brim into five acute fegments. 
The leed-veffel is fmall, oval, and divided into two 
cells, which are full of fmall feeds. 
All the forts except the fixth, feventh, and eighth, re- 
quire the fame culture, and are too tender to grow 
from feeds fown in the full ground, to any degree of 
perfection in this country, fo require to be raifed in a 
hot-bed, after the following manner : 
The feeds muft be fown upon a moderate hot-bed in 
March, and when the plants are come up fit to re- 
move, they fhould be tranfplanted into a new hot- 
bed of a moderate warmth, about four inches afun- 
der each way, obferving to water and fhade them 
until they have taken root •, after which you muft let 
them have air in proportion to the warmth . of the 
feafon, otherwifc they will draw up very weak, and 
be thereby lefs capable of enduring the open air: you 
muft alfo obferve to water them frequently, but 
while they are very young, it fhould not be given to 
them in too great quantities ; though when they are 
pretty ftrong, they will require to have it often, and 
in plenty. 
In this bed the plants fhould remain until the middle 
of May, by which time (if they have fucceeded well) 
they will touch each other, therefore they fhould be 
inured to bear the open air gradually ; after which 
they muft be taken up carefully, preferving a large 
ball of earth to each root, and planted into a rich light 
foil, in rows four feet afunder, and the plants three 
feet diftance in the rows, obferving to water them 
until they have taken root ; after which they will re- 
quire no farther, care (but only to keep them clean 
from weeds) until the plants begin to fhew their fiowfcr- 
ftems ; at which time you fhould cut off the tops of 
them, that their leaves may be the better nouriflied, 
whereby they will be rendered larger, and of a thicker 
fubftance. In Auguft they will be full grown, when 
they fhould be cut for ufe ; for if they are permitted 
to ftand longer, their under leaves will begin to de- 
cay. This is to be underftood for fuch plants as are 
propagated for ufe, but thofe plants which are defign- 
ed for ornament, fhould be planted in the borders of 
the pleafu re-garden, and permitted to grow their full 
height, where they will continue flowering from July, 
till the froft puts a flop to them. 
The three fmaller forts of Tobacco are preferved in 
botanic gardens for variety, but are feldom propagat- 
ed for ufe. The firft fort is found growing upon 
dunghills in divers parts of England. ' The fixth and 
N i G 
feventh are very hardy, and may be propagated hf 
flowing their feeds in March, upon a bed of light earth, 
where they will come up, and may be tranfplanted 
into any part of the garden, where they will thrive 
without farther care. 
The laft fort being fomewhat tenderer than the other, 
fhould be fown early in the fpring on a hot-bed •, and 
when the plants come up, they fhould be tranfplanted 
on another moderate hot-bed, where they muft be 
duly watered, and fhould have a large fhare of free 
air in warm weather ■, and when the plants have ob- 
tained a good fhare of ftrength, they fhould be tranf- 
planted into feparate pots, and plunged into a mo- 
derate hot-bed to bring them forward. About the 
middle of June feme of the plants may be fliaken 
out of the pots, and planted into beds of rich earth ; 
but it will be proper to keep one or two plants in pots,, 
which may be placed in the ftove (in cafe the feafon 
fhould prove bad,) that they may ripen their feeds, 
fo that the fpecies may be preferved. 
NIGELLA. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 258. tab. 134. 
Lin. Gen. Plant. 606. [fo called, as though Nigrella, 
from the colour of its feed, becaufe the feeds of this 
plant are, for the mod part, black. It is alfo called 
Melianthum, of fx «?, black, and a flower, 
q. d. black flower, although the flower is not black : 
it is alfo called Melafpermum, of jw,ea«?, black, and 
fririppot, feed.] Fennel-flower, or Devil in a buftr. 
The Characters are, 
The flower has no empalement , hut a leafy perianthimn. 
It hath five oval , obtufe , plain petals , which fpread open , 
and are contracted at their bafe , and eight very fort npc* 
tariums fituated in a circle , each having two lips ; the 
exterior being larger , the inferior bifid , plain, and con- 
vex \ the interior is Jhorter , narrower , from an oval ter- 
minating in a line. It hath a great number of awl -fhaped 
flamina , which are Jhorter than the petals , terminated by 
obtufe , comprejfed , ere Cl fummits ■, and in fome five , in. 
others ten , oblong , convex , ereCi germen , ending in awl- 
fijaped fiyles , which are long , revolved , and permanent, 
having fligmas faftened longitudinally to them. The ger- 
men afterward become fo many oblong comprejfed capfules , 
divided by a furrow , but connected within , filled with 
rough angular feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fifth feftion of 
Linnaeus’s thirteenth clafs, which includes thofe 
plants whofe flowers have many flamina and five ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Nigella ( Afvenfis ) piftillis quinis, petalis iritegris, 
caplulis turbinatis. Lin. Sp. Plant, 534. Fennel-flower 
having five point als, entire petals, and turbinated feed - 
vejfels. Nigella arvenfls cornuta. C. B. P. Field horned 
Fennel- flower. 
2. Nigella (. Damafcena ) floribus involucro foliofocinc- 
tis. Eiort. Cliff. 215. Fennel-flower whofe flowers are 
eneompajfed with a leafy involucrum. Nigella angufti- 
folia, flore majore fimplici caeruleo. C. B. P. 145. 
Narrow-leaved Fennel-flower , having a larger i Jingle, blue 
flower. 
3. Nigella ( Sativa ) piftillis quinis, caplulis muricatis 
fubrotundis, foliis fubpilofls. Hort. Upfal. 154. Fen- 
nel -flotver with .five point als which are prickly, and leaves 
fomewhat hairy. Nigella flore minore fimplici candi- 
do. C. B. P. 145. Fennelflower with a fmaller , Jingle, 
white flower. 
4. Nigella ( Cretica ) piftillis quinis, corolla-longiori- 
bus, petalis integris. Fennel-flower with five pointals 
longer than the petals , which are entire. Nigella Cre- 
tica latifolia odorata. Park. Theat. 1376. Broad-leaved 
fweet-fmelling Fennel-flower of Crete. 
5. Nigella ( Latifolia ) piftillis denis corolla brevioribus. 
Fennelflower with ten pointals which are Jhorter than 
the petals. Nigella alba fimplici flore. Alp. Exot. 261. 
Fennel-flower with a Jingle white flower. 
6 . Nigella ( Hifpanka ) piftillis denis corollam seq-u an- 
tibus. Hort. Upfal. 154. Fennel-flower with ten pointals 
equalling the petal. Nigella latifolia flore majore fim- 
plici caeruleo. C. B. P. 145. Broad-leaved Fennel- 
flower with a large. Jingle, blue flower . 
9 K 
7. Nigella 
