Nigella damascena
Common name
love-in-the-mist, devil in a bush
Family
Ranunculaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Features
Stem (50-)200-800 mm tall, bright green when fresh, terete, glabrous, branching in upper third to one half. Segments of rosette leaves linear, those of cauline leaves filiform. Involucre present, of 5 finely dissected leaves, twice as broad as the flower. Flowers 20-30 mm diameter. Sepals in several whorls, blue, white or pink, ovate, acute, clawed, the innermost sometimes 3-fid. Petals usually 0. Styles 5. Capsule glabrous, ovoid, swollen, 15-30 × 10-20 mm, 10-locular but only 5 locules fertile; styles 15-25 mm long at fruiting. Seeds black, c.2 mm long, transversely ridged.
Flower colours
Blue, White
Year naturalised
1883
Origin
N.W. Africa, Asia Minor
Etymology
nigella: Blackish