Nigella

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Ranunculales
Classification System: APG IV Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Diaphoretickes Cladus: CAM Cladus: Archaeplastida Regnum: Plantae Cladus: Angiosperms Cladus: Eudicots Ordo: Ranunculales

Familia: Ranunculaceae
Subfamilia: Ranunculoideae
Tribus: Nigelleae
Genus: Nigella
Sectiones: N. sect. Erobatos – N. sect. Nigella – N. sect. Nigellastrum
Species: N. arvensis – N. bucharica – N. carpatha – N. ciliaris – N. damascena – N. degenii – N. deserti – N. doerfleri – N. elata – N. fumariifolia – N. gallica – N. hispanica – N. icarica – N. integrifolia – N. koyuncui – N. nigellastrum – N. orientalis – N. oxypetala – N. papillosa – N. sativa – N. segetalis – N. stellaris – N. stricta – N. turcica – N. unguicularis

This taxon list was last updated on 15 Jan 2026.

Name

Nigella L., Sp. Pl. 1: 534 (1753).

Type species: Nigella arvensis L. (1753) (designated by Hutchinson, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1923: 87 (1923).)

Synonyms

Homotypic
- Nigellastrum Moench, Methodus: 311 (1794), nom. superfl.
Heterotypic
- Nigellastrum Heist. ex Fabr., Enum. Meth. Pl., ed. 2: 273 (1763).
- Melanthium Medik., Philos. Bot. 1: 96 (1789), nom. illeg. non L. (1753).
  - Typus; Nigella damascena L.
- Erobatos Rchb., Handb. Nat. Pfl.-Syst. 277 (1837).
- Erobathos Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 7: 301 (1838).

Distribution

Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe
- Regional: Northern Europe
  - Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden (introduced).
- Regional: Middle Europe
  - Austria, Belgium, Czechia-Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands (introduced/recorded in error), Poland, Switzerland (extinct).
- Regional: Southwestern Europe
  - Baleares, Corse, France, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain.
- Regional: Southeastern Europe
  - Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania, Sicilia, Türkiye-in-Europe, Northwest Balkan Peninsula.
- Regional: Eastern Europe
  - Belarus, Baltic States (introduced), Krym, Central European Russia (introduced), South European Russia, Ukraine.
Continental: Africa
- Regional: Northern Africa
  - Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia.
- Regional: Macaronesia
  - Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, Selvagens.
- Regional: Northeast Tropical Africa
  - Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan-South Sudan (introduced).
Continental: Asia-Temperate
- Regional: Russian Far East
  - Kamchatka, Primorye (introduced).
- Regional: Middle Asia
  - Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan.
- Regional: Caucasus
  - North Caucasus, Transcaucasus.
- Regional: Western Asia
  - Afghanistan, Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Türkiye.
- Regional: Arabian Peninsula
  - Saudi Arabia, Yemen (introduced).
Continental: Asia-Tropical (introduced)
- Regional: Indian Subcontinent
  - Assam, Bangladesh, India.
- Regional: Indo-China
  - Myanmar.
Continental: Northern America (introduced)
- Regional: Western Canada
  - British Columbia.
- Regional: Eastern Canada
  - Ontario, Québec.
- Regional: Northwestern U.S.A.
  - Oregon.
- Regional: North-Central U.S.A.
  - Illinois, Kansas, Missouri.
- Regional: Northeastern U.S.A.
  - Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia.
- Regional: Southeastern U.S.A.
  - Maryland, Tennessee.
- Regional: Mexico
  - Mexico Southwest.
Continental: Southern America
- Regional: Central America
  - Guatemala (introduced).

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2^nd Edition

References

Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 534. Reference page.

Additional references

Brand, A. 1894–1895. Monographie der Gattung Nigella. Helios. Abhandlungen und monatliche Mittheilungen aus dem Gesammtgebiete der Naturwissenschaften 12(11): 171–174 BHL, (12): 182–197 BHL, 13(1): 8–15 BHL, (2): 22–28 BHL, (3): 33–38 BHL. Reference page.
Hutchinson, J. 1923. Contributions towards a Phylogenetic Classification of Flowering Plants: I. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) 1923(2): 65–89. DOI: 10.2307/4118622 BHL Reference page.
Zohary, M. 1983. The Genus Nigella (Ranunculaceae) – a Taxonomic Revision. Plant Systematics and Evolution 142(1): 71–107. DOI: 10.1007/BF00989605 PDF Reference page.
Strid, A. 1970. Studies in the Aegean flora. XVI. Biosystematics of the Nigella arvensis complex with special reference to the problem of non-adaptive radiation. Opera Botanica 28: 1–169, 3 plates, 1 map. Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2026. Nigella in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2026 Jan 15. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2026. Nigella. Published online. Accessed: 15 Jan 2026. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2026. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Nigella. Accessed: Jan 15 2026. Reference page.

Vernacular names

العربية: حبة البركة
བོད་ཡིག: ཟི་ར་ནག་པོ།
Deutsch: Schwarzkümmel
Ελληνικά: Μελάνθιον
English: Devil-in-a-bush
suomi: Neidot
हिन्दी: कलौंजी
magyar: Kandilla, Katicavirág
日本語: クロタネソウ属
ქართული: სოინჯი
lietuvių: Juodgrūdė
Nederlands: Nigelle
polski: Czarnuszka
русский: Чернушка
slovenščina: črnika
svenska: Nigellasläktet
Türkçe: Çörek otu
українська: Чорнушка
中文: 黑种草属
中文（简体）: 黑种草属