Black Cumin or Nigella sativa originates from Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia, and has been cultivated in many countries worldwide, such as the Eastern Mediterranean region, the Middle East, Southern Europe, India, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Black cumin is one of the most valuable, nutrient-rich herbs in history across the globe.

The largest producers of black cumin seeds are Egypt, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq. In Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, this species is cultivated on a small scale, primarily for medicinal purposes.

Described as a miracle plant and regarded as the "Herb of Heaven" by herbal specialists, as well as in Islamic tradition, the seed is known as a panacea (a cure-all). Black cumin has long been used in traditional medicine in Arab, Far Eastern Asian, European, and African countries, where it is believed to have a multitude of benefits and the ability to treat various diseases. Research has reported that the plant possesses a number of medicinal properties and pharmacological actions.

In addition to its function as a medicinal plant, black cumin produces seeds that are widely used by the public as a spice and flavoring in various food and beverage preparations (such as in bread, yogurt, pickles, sauces, and salads), a coloring agent for bread, a source of essential oil, and a pepper substitute. Furthermore, the beauty of its flowers and the unique nature of its leaves sometimes lead people to grow this plant as an ornamental crop.

Here is the English translation of the text describing the agroecology of Black Cumin: Agroecology of Black Cumin

Black Cumin is a subtropical plant, but it can also be cultivated in temperate regions and at higher altitudes of 1,500 - 2,500 meters above sea level (m a.s.l.) in tropical areas. It grows best in regions where the average annual daytime temperature is in the range of 14−26ºC, but it can tolerate 5−30ºC. The species prefers a location with an average annual rainfall in the range of 600 - 800 mm, though it tolerates 400 - 1,000 mm. Optimal growth occurs in a sunny position with light-textured, fertile soil, and a soil pH in the range of 6.5 - 7.3, but it can tolerate 6−8. Black cumin is commonly found growing on roadsides and at dump sites.

• The root is a taproot, colored yellow-brown.

• The stem is much-branched, subterete (nearly cylindrical), ribbed/striated, sometimes hollow when old, pubescent (puber), light to dark green.

• The leaves are alternate, with thin, sublinear leaf blades that are finely divided (dissected), slightly pilose (hairy), usually green but sometimes turning reddish-brown. The petioles (leaf stalks) are greatly widened at the base, light green, ribbed/striated, and puberulous (minutely hairy).

• The flowers are solitary, emerging at the stem tips (terminal), pubescent, ribbed/striated, and rotate (wheel-shaped). All flower parts are inserted on a pale yellow, fleshy, conical receptacle, visible as an orange-brown ring beneath the fruit carpels. The sepals number 5, petaloid, ovate, with a blunt apex, tapering at the base and becoming clawed (2-3 mm long), papillose to pilose, pale green when young, sometimes partially reddish, pale blue-white on the inside when older. The petals (lamina) number (6-)8(-11), with a short claw, the blade is 2-lobed, the lobes cover the nectar pocket, the apex is bifid, greenish-white with a purple stripe, purple at the base, and white at the apex. The stamens are in (6-)8(-10) groups, each group having 3-7 stamens, and each group forms a spiraloid line at the base of the flower. The filaments (stalks of the stamen) are linear, purple-blue to pale blue, and the anthers (pollen heads) are yellow. The pistil lobes consist of 3-7 white granular carpels, almost fused at the base, forming a compound ovary with free stigmas.

• The fruit is a ribbed capsule, oblong, tuberculate (warty), grayish-green to brown when ripe, many-seeded, with persistent stigmas.

• The seeds are small, 3(-4)-sided, obpyramidal (inverted pyramid shape), rugose-tuberculate (wrinkled and warty), deep black with a white interior, slightly aromatic, and bitter-tasting.

• Plant propagation is done via seed.

• In temperate climates, black cumin begins flowering around 100 days after sowing the seed, with mature seeds ready for harvest 50 days later. In warmer climates, flowering can begin 8–10 weeks after germination.

• The typical planting distance is (15–)25–40 cm.

It is used to treat headaches, back pain, rheumatic pain, asthma and coughs, stomach aches and spasms, paralysis, infections, inflammation, hypertension, jaundice, malaria, to relieve colds, flatulence and colic, and menstrual disorders.

It is also used to increase breast milk flow in lactating mothers, treat worm infestations (especially in children), diabetes, chafing, eczema, abscesses, hemorrhoids, orchitis (inflammation of the testicles), swollen joints, skin disorders (such as ringworm, eczema), baldness, heal snake bites and scorpion stings, help the discharge of pus, eliminate head lice, strengthen immune function, and induce abortion.

It is anthelmintic (expels parasitic worms), aphrodisiac, and carminative (relieves flatulence). It possesses antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anticancer activity.

Essential oils (thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, dithymoquinone, p-cymene, α-pinene, β-pinene, carvacrol, α-terpineol, trans-anethole, limonene, α-thujene), fatty acids (eicosenoic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid), tannins, the alkaloids damascenine, nigellone, nigellimine, nigellimine-N-oxide, and nigellicine, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, α-spinasterol, alkaloids, saponins, sterols, and phenolic compounds.