Nigella sativa is a powerful medicinal plant that is native to Bulgaria and Romania in Eastern Europe and Cyprus, Turkey, Iran and Iraq in Western Asia. The name refers to the Latin niger, meaning black from the seed colour, and it has been called by many names such as black cumin, black caraway, nigella, Roman coriander, black seed and fennel flower among others.
The plant itself is an annual flowering plant growing to 30cm, with finely divided leaves and blue or white delicate flowers. The earliest records. Nigella seeds have been a major remedy in many ancient systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Persian, Unani, Chinese and Arabic medicines.
