Elettaria cardamomum - Ela, Cardamom

Elaichi, Elettaria cardomamum

Elettaria cardamomum is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ginger family, native to southern India. It is the most common of the species whose seeds are used as a spice called cardamom. It is cultivated widely in tropical regions and reportedly naturalized in Réunion, Indochina and Costa Rica.

Uses

Indigestion, Nausea, Vomiting, Pulmonary disease, Stomachache, Heart burn, Throat troubles, Congestion of the lungs, Kidney stones

Parts Used

Seed, Fruits.

Chemical Composition

The main chemical components of cardamom oil are a-pinene, b-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, a-phellandrene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, y-terpinene, p-cymene, terpinolene, linalool, linalyl acetate, terpinen-4-oil, a-terpineol, a-terpineol acetate, citronellol, nerol, geraniol, methyl eugenol and trans-nerolidol.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Elakki
Hindi	Elaichi
Malayalam	Elatarri
Tamil	Elam Ancha
Telugu	Elaki
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Trutih
English	Cardamom, Malabar cardamom

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Rasa

Katu (Pungent), Madhur (Sweet)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry)

Veerya

Sheet (cold)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Kapha, Vata

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	long and sword-shaped	The underside is paler and may have a covering of tiny hairs and it is Dark green

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	Reach over 1 m in length	pale green	5-20	The flowers contain both male and female parts. One of the petals is white and streaked with violet

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
oval-shape		Each fruit has three chambers filled with small aromatic seeds, each about 3 mm long	The fruits dry to a straw-brown colour and are widely used as flavouring	seeds dry to a straw-brown colour and are widely used as flavouring	{{{6}}}

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

The planting is carried out during the rainy season commencing from June. Seedlings are to be planted upto the collar region for better growth. Cloudy days with light drizzle are ideal for planting. Generally in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the seedlings are transplanted in March-May at a spacing of 20x 20 cm and mulched immediately. Beds are to be covered with an over head pandal and should be watered regularly.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Subtropical area, Indoors in a heated greenhouse, Warm shady humid place.

Photo Gallery

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External Links

• Elettaria cardomamum on planet ayurveda
• Elettaria cardomamum on missouribotanicalgarden
• How to grow Cardamom | Growing Cardamom
• Elettaria cardomamum on herbaria plants