Botany

Black cumin, also called black seed, black caraway, Roman coriander, kalonji, or fennel flower, annual plant of the ranunculus family, grown for its pungent seeds, which are used as a spice and in herbal medicine. The black cumin plant is found in southwestern Asia and parts of the Mediterranean and Africa, where it has a long history of use in diverse culinary and medicinal traditions. The seeds have an aroma similar to fennel and have a pungent flavour somewhat similar to nutmeg, though the plant is not related to either. The seeds are commonly roasted and ground as a spice and are widely used in India, the Middle East, and parts of north Africa to season curries, rice, breads, and sweet confections. Black cumin is also important in traditional medicine in many places and is an esteemed herbal remedy for a wide variety of ailments. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental for its attractive flowers and is closely related to love-in-a-mist, a more common ornamental.

Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum, also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods.

Sumac leaves are characteristically arranged in spirals and are usually compound, though some species have simple leaves. The minute flowers have five petals and are borne in dense panicles or spikes. The fruits are red drupes and also are borne in dense upright clusters. All sumacs have a milky or resinous sap.