Black Cumin (Nigella sativa)
Description
Nigella sativa (black caraway, also known as black cumin, nigella, and kalonji) is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to south and southwest Asia. N. sativa grows to 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) tall, with finely divided, linear (but not thread-like) leaves. The flowers are delicate, and usually colored pale blue and white, with five to ten petals. The fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of three to seven united follicles, each containing numerous seeds which are used as spice, sometimes as a replacement for black cumin (Bunium bulbocastanum). The genus name Nigella is a diminutive of the Latin niger (black), referring to the seeds. In English, N. sativa and its seed are variously called black caraway, black cumin, fennel flower, nigella, nutmeg flower, Roman coriander, and kalonji (from Hindi-Urdu). Blackseed and black caraway may also refer to Bunium persicum.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Ranunculales
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Family: Ranunculaceae
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Genus: Nigella
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