Nigella
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- This article is about the plant. Nigella can also be a personal name; see e.g. Nigella Lawson.
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| Missing image Nigella_arvensis_fruit.jpg Nigella damascena seed capsule | ||||||||||||
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About 14, including: |
Nigella is a genus of about 14 species of annual plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native to southern Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia.
The species grow to 20-90 cm tall, with finely divided leaves, the leaf segments narrowly linear to threadlike. The flowers are white, yellow, pink, pale blue or pale purple, with 5-10 petals. The fruit is a capsule composed of several united follicles, each containing numerous seeds; in some species (e.g. N. damascena), the capsule is large and inflated.
Uses
The seeds of N. sativa, known as kalonji, black cumin or just nigella, are used as a spice in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Several species are grown as ornamental plants in gardens, popular for their seed capsules, used in dried flower arrangements.
Illustration_Nigella_arvensis0.jpg