invasive? purple/green striped seed pod, 'thorny' leaves

Pictures are here and following:
http://picasaweb.google.com/huttarl/ 20090522Wildflowers#5338770727750816066

The flowers are blue with five petals (or 10 or 15?). The leaves are spiky like thorns but not stiff. The seed pods were striped purple and green, but have faded to brown.

I'm told it's an invasive species in North Texas and is not in the guide books.

Anybody recognize it? Should I try to keep it from spreading further?

Thanks,
Lars

Has anyone been able to take a look at this?

Thanks,
Lars

Yes, I looked at it. I would, if I were you, try to keep it from spreading further first to see what's going on. On the other hand... it looks lovely and would look nice in a garden even if it spread (but not too close to the other flowers you have there - just a precaution).

I have not been able to identify it. It certainly does look weird, but nice. You haven\'t had any meteors land in the neighborhood lately have you?

Nigella (love in a mist).

As usual Kate hit it right on the nose. Oddly enough this crazy looking thing is a member of the Buttercup family.

Some sites list it as (love in a mist) http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/nigella.html

and some as (devil in the bush). http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=NIDA

This plant keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Thanks Kate! I wasn't able to find it by browsing web sites, and my wildflower-expert friends were stumped. Now that I know what it is I've been able to look up its "invasive" status. The USDA web site says it's "introduced" in the lower 48 states, but I don't see it listed as invasive or noxious. Neat to read about its use in Asian cooking.

Thanks again,
Lars

It's called Love in a Mist - nigella family. Here in Calif. we plant them as desired flowers. They reseed and come up year after year. Easily pulled up if they appear where you don't want them.

Very invasive. Mine are growing here in Vancouver, BC. I have pulled them all out, but to no avail, the seeds have scattered and are coming up everywhere. I dispise this plant! I have tried to smother it with mounds of grass clippings and now it has reseeded itself in the grass clippings as well as across the rest of the yard.