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Guizotia abyssinica
Also called Niger, Ramtil, Nigerseed, Niger Seed, Nyjer, Inga
Ramtilla (Guizotia abyssinica), also called niger or noog, is an erect annual herb from Ethiopia grown mainly for its edible oil and seed, not as an ornamental. Give it full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil.
Guizotia abyssinica is an erect, stout, branched annual herb, grown for its edible oil and seed. Its cultivation originated in the Eritrean and Ethiopian Highlands, and has spread to other parts of Ethiopia. Common names include noog/nug (Ethio-Semitic and Eritrean ኑግ nūg or ኒህዩግ nihyug); ramtil or ramtilla; niger or nyger seed (all pronounced , NY-jər); inga seed; and blackseed. Noug has been described as semi-domesticated, self-incompatible crop with yellow flowering heads and seeds. Recent studies have revealed the regional genetic diversity of some noug populations grown in Ethiopia based on RAPD and AFLP markers.
Requiring moderate rainfall between 1,000 to 1,250 millimetres (39 to 49 in) annually, niger seed needs moist soil to grow properly. Niger should be grown in light black soils or brownish loam with sufficient depth but it also can be grown on well drained heavy soils or rocky laterite soils. It can grow in semi-shade or full sun. The yield of seeds will average 300–400 kilograms per hectare (270–360 lb/acre) under favorable conditions but can produce up to 600 kilograms per hectare (540 lb/acre). It gives a dependable yield even under unfavorable climatic conditions.
The seed, technically a fruit called an achene, is often sold as birdseed as it is a favourite of finches, especially the goldfinch and the greenfinch (Chloris). In the birdseed market, niger is often sold or referred to as thistle seed. This is a misnomer resulting from early marketing of the seed as "thistle" to take advantage of the finches' preference for thistle.
Niger seeds are used for human consumption in the southern parts of India. In Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, niger seeds (called valisalu/valasulu in Telugu, uchellu/gurellu in Kannada, and karale in Marathi) are used to make a dry chutney, which is used as an accompaniment with breads such as chapati. They are also used as a spice in some curries. In Ethiopia, an infusion made from roasted and ground niger seeds, sugar and water is used in treating common colds.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Guizotia abyssinica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
