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词条 Nigella sativa
释义

  1. Etymology

  2. Description

  3. Culinary uses

  4. History

  5. Chemistry

  6. Research

  7. References

  8. External links

{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}{{Speciesbox
| image = Nsativa001Wien.jpg
| genus = Nigella
| species = sativa
| authority = L.
| synonyms =
  • Nigella cretica Mill.

| synonyms_ref = [1]
}}

Nigella sativa (black caraway, also known as black cumin, nigella, and kalonji)[2][3][3] is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to south and southwest Asia.

N. sativa grows to {{convert|20|-|30|cm|abbr=on}} 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).

Etymology

The genus name Nigella is a diminutive of the Latin {{Lang|la|niger}} (black), referring to the seeds.[4]

In English, N. sativa and its seed are variously called black caraway, black seed, black cumin, fennel flower, nigella, nutmeg flower, Roman coriander,[5] and kalonji (from Hindi-Urdu).[7]

Blackseed and black caraway may also refer to Bunium persicum.[6]

Description