Nigella damascena

Nigella damascena

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
Sectio: N. sect. Erobatos
Species: Nigella damascena

Name

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

• Lectotype (designated by Zohary 1983: 97): Herb. Linn. no. 700.1 (LINN).

Synonyms

• Homotypic
  • Melanthium damascenum (L.) Medik., Philos. Bot., 1: 96 (1789).
  • Erobathos damascenum (L.) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 7: 302 (1838).
• Heterotypic
  • Nigella romana Garsault, Fig. Pl. Méd.: t. 411 (1764), opus utique rej.
  • Nigella coerulea Lam., Fl. Franç. 3: 312 (1779).
  • Nigella multifida Gaterau, Desc. Pl. Montauban: 100 (1789).
  • Nigella involucrata Moench, Methodus: 314 (1794).
  • Nigella elegans Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 374 (1796).
  • Nigella coarctata C.C.Gmel., Fl. Bad. 2: 502 (1806).
    • Nigella damascena var. coarctata W.T.Aiton, Hortus Kew., ed. 2. 3: 326 (1811).
    • Erobathos coarctatum (C.C.Gmel.) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 7: 304 (1838).
  • Nigella pygmaea DC., Syst. Nat. 1: 333 (1817).
  • Nigella damascena var. minor Boiss., Voy. Bot. Espagne 2: 11 (1839).
    • Nigella damascena subsp. minor (Boiss.) A.Terracc., Boll. Reale Orto Bot. Giardino Colon. Palermo 1: 151 (1897).
  • Nigella nana J.W.Loudon, Ladies' Flower-gard., Ann.: 11 (1840).
  • Nigella bourgaei Jord., Mém. Acad. Sci. Lyon, Sect. Sci. 1: 2 (1852).
  • Nigella taurica Steven, Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 29(II): 283 (1856).
  • Nigella damascena var. africana Brand, Monogr. Nigell.: 37 (1895).
  • Nigella bithynica Azn., Bull. Soc. Bot. France 44: 165 (1897).
  • Nigella damascena var. oligogyna Caball., Mem. Real Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat. 8: 270 (1915).

Distribution

Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe Regional: Northern Europe Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden (introduced). Regional: Middle Europe Austria, Czechia-Slovakia, Germany (introduced). Regional: Southwestern Europe Baleares, Corse, France, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain. Regional: Southeastern Europe Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania (introduced), Sicilia, Türkiye-in-Europe, Northwest Balkan Peninsula. Regional: Eastern Europe Krym, South European Russia (introduced). Continental: Africa Regional: Northern Africa Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia. Regional: Macaronesia Azores (introduced), Canary Islands, Madeira, Selvagens. Regional: Northeast Tropical Africa Ethiopia (introduced). Continental: Asia-Temperate Regional: Russian Far East Kamchatka, Primorye (introduced). Regional: Middle Asia Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan (introduced). Regional: Caucasus North Caucasus, Transcaucasus. Regional: Western Asia Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Iran, Lebanon-Syria, Türkiye. 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, 2nd Edition

References

Primary references

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

Additional references

• 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. 2002. Nigella. Pp. 5–13 in Strid, A. & Tan, K. (eds.), Flora Hellenica. Volume Two (Nymphaeaceae to Platanaceae). A.R.G. Gantner, Ruggell, 511 pp. ISBN 3-904144-92-8 Reference page. 

Links

• Govaerts, R. et al. 2026. Nigella damascena 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 damascena. Published online. Accessed: 15 Jan 2026. Reference page.
• Hassler, M. 2026. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Nigella damascena. Accessed: 15 Jan 2026. Reference page. 
• Euro+Med 2006 onwards: Nigella damascena in Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published online. Accessed: 2026 Jan 15.Reference page.
• USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Nigella damascena in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12. Reference page. 

Vernacular names

• العربية: شونيز دمشقي
• català: Flor d'aranya
• čeština: Černucha damašská
• Cymraeg: Glas y niwl
• dansk: Jomfru i det grønne
• Deutsch: Jungfer im Grünen
• Ελληνικά: Μελάνθιον το δαμασκηνόν
• English: Devil-in-the-bush
• فارسی: سیاه‌دانه دمشقی
• suomi: Tarhaneito
• français: Nigelle de Damas
• galego: Luceiros
• hornjoserbsce: Rjana družka
• magyar: Borzaskata
• italiano: Anigella
• Nederlands: Juffertje-in-het-groen
• polski: Czarnuszka damasceńska
• русский: Чернушка дамасская
• slovenčina: černuška damascénska
• српски / srpski: Чупава ката
• svenska: Jungfrun i det gröna
• Türkçe: Şam çörek otu
• українська: Чорнушка дамаська
• 中文: 黑种草

For more multimedia, look at Nigella damascena on Wikimedia Commons.