Carum carvi - Asitajiraka, Caraway

Gulaganji

TA kind of Caraway called Sushava and Krishna-jiraka or Black Cumin appears to have been used in Ayurveda before the introduction of European caraway seeds.

Uses

Kill hookworms, Gas, Flatulence, Bowel spasms, Mild diabetes, Cough, Atherosclerosis, Lower blood pressure, Cholesterol, Menstrual cramps.

Parts Used

Leaves, Fruits, Seeds.

Chemical Composition

Caraway fruits may contain 3% to 7% essential oil. The aroma of the oil is mostly dominated by carvone (50 to 85%) and limonene (20 to 30%); the other components carveol, dihydro­carveol, α- and β-pinene, sabinene and perillyl alcohol are of much minor importance.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	NA
Hindi	Jangi dhania, Jeerka
Malayalam	NA
Tamil	Appakacaccompucceti, Appakacam
Telugu	Seema jeeraka, Seemai sompu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Asitajiraka, Bahugandha, Bhedanika
English	Caraway, Caraway seed, Kummel

Properties

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

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Paripinnate	Oblong	Leaf Arrangementis Alternate-spiral

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2-4cm long	pink		Flowering throughout the year and In terminal and/or axillary pseudoracemes

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
oblong pod	Thinly septate, pilose, wrinkled			seeds upto 5	Fruiting throughout the year

Mode of Propagation

Seeds

Commonly seen growing in areas

Hills of South India, Plains of North India, Hills.