Nigella sativa

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Nigella sativa L., Sp. Pl. 584 1753. (Syn: Nigella cretica Mill.; Nigella indica Roxb.;Nigella truncata Viv.);
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Romania to W. & SW. Iran: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, North Caucasus, Romania, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Turkmenistan; Introduced into: Afghanistan, Algeria, Assam, Bangladesh, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, East Aegean Is., Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Greece, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Krym, Libya, Morocco, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tadzhikistan, Tunisia, Turkey-in-Europe, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Yugoslavia as per POWO;
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Common name: Black Seed, Fennel flower, Nutmeg flower, Onion seed, Black cumin • Bengali: কালো জিরা, কালোজিরা Kalo jira • Hindi: कलौंजी, कलोंजी Kalaunji • Kannada: ಕರಿ ಜೀರಿಗೆ kari jirige • Malayalam: കരിഞ്ചീരകം karinjirakam • Sanskrit: कृष्णजीरा Krishnajira • Urdu: Kalaunji
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Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant, native to south and southwest Asia.
It 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 coloured 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. The seed is used as a spice.
In English, Nigella sativa seed is variously called fennel flower,[3] nutmeg flower,[3] black caraway,[3] Roman coriander,[3] and black cumin.[3]
Nigella sativa has a pungent bitter taste and smell. It is used primarily in confectionery and liquors. Peshawari naan is, as a rule, topped with kalonji seeds. Nigella is also used in Armenian string cheese, a braided string cheese called majdouleh or majdouli in the Middle East.
(From Wikipedia on 16.4.14)
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Nigella sativa L. SN April16 :  6 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (2).
Nigella sativa L; Fam Ranunculaceae,
cultivated for its seeds, Kalonji

Thanks … though seeds are very popular as a spice in pickles, I am yet to see the plant..

Interesting… Even I had not seen this species until I finally purchased seeds from market, grew them in pot and took good number of photographs. I will share them soon.

I am also planning to do the same…waiting for your pics too..

As I understand two different types of seeds are available in market as Kalonji–

1) seeds of Nigella sativa
2) Seeds of Onion (Allium cepa), also called as mangrail
Which is used in pickles?

Yes …, this confusion is there. Although two plants are totally different many websites consider them same as far as seeds are concerned. One used as spice, in pickles and sold as kalonji is clearly Nigella sativa. I have grown seeds at home and uploaded photographs in a separate post.

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Nigella sativa from Delhi: GSAPR01 : Attachments(6). 3 posts by 2 authors.
Nigella sativa L., Sp.Pl. 534. 1753.
Common names: black-caraway, black-cumin, fennel-flower, nigella, Roman-coriander

Vern.: Kalonji.

Cultivated annual herb up to 50 cm tall with slender pubescent branches; leaves highly dissected with filiform segments 1-2 mm broad; flowers singly at tips of branches, without an involucre; sepals petal-like, ovate-lanceolate, stalked, falling soon; petals short, 5-10, with short thick appendage; stamens numerous; follicles usually 3–8, coherent, with long spreading styles; seeds 3-angled, black, rugose.
 Photographed from plant raised at home from seeds in Delhi, in March-April, 2014.

Thanks a lot Sir for these very beautiful pics.. lovely flowers..
I have not met this plant anywhere…

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Nigella sativa L., Sp.Pl. 534. 1753.
Common names: black-caraway, black-cumin, fennel-flower, nigella, Roman-coriander
Vern.: Kalonji.
Cultivated annual herb up to 50 cm tall with slender pubescent branches; leaves highly dissected with filiform segments 1-2 mm broad; flowers singly at tips of branches, without an involucre; sepals petal-like, ovate-lanceolate, stalked, falling soon; petals short, 5-10, with short thick appendage; stamens numerous; follicles usually 3–8, coherent, with long spreading styles; seeds 3-angled, black, rugose.
Photographed from plant raised at home from seeds in Delhi, in March-April, 2014.

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Nigella sativa L. is a cultivated herb here in a research centre at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand.
Seeds are known as Kala Jeera and used as condiment.
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Feb2015sk01 Hooghly – Nigella sativa L. : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)
As I searched my archives I found another Ranunculaceae member hiding in one of hundreds folders. Unfortunately I am late for a couple of days to share this uncommon weed, in this case in a garden, which was photographed on 10-03-2012

Beautiful pics …, it is never late.. I do not even have this to share..

Thank you very much Sir. I was searching for Annona squamosa and some other in my folders when I noticed these photographs.

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Ranunculaceae: Nigella sativa L.: 1 high res. image.
location/date: Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, February 1993