Νιγέλα το μαύρο άστρο
Etymology of Nigella damascena: "Nigella" comes from "nigellus" and it is the Latin female diminutive word for "niger", more precisely meaning "small and black", a reference to the size and the color of its seeds. The epithet "nigellastrus" derives from the combination of Latin "nigellum" (small and black) and the Ancient Greek "ἄστρον" [astron], which means "star", is probably a reference to the shape and the color of the flower.
There are six Nigella species/kinds in Cyprus, all peculiar and rare.
Nigella nigellastrum bears a tiny, peculiar flower, which is hard to be noticed by the naked eye. It can be found all-around Cyprus at a maximum altitude of 600 metres, excluding the Karpasia peninsula. It primarily grows on infertile ground and grasslands. Its flowering period is between March and June.
