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Cardamom

Botanical Name(s): Elettaria Cardamomum
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Elettaria Maton
Species: Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton
Popular Name(s): Cardamon, Malabar Cardamom, Elachi
Parts Used: Seed
Habitat: Commonly found in South India

Description
Cardamom is an evergreen, perennial ginger-like plant, with thick rhizomes and erect stems, bearing pointed leaves. White flowers with a pink to violet striped lip are born in a loose spike in summers, followed by pale green to beige, 3-celled capsules or pods, containing 15-20 aromatic seeds. The small, brown-black sticky seeds are contained in three double rows, with about six seeds in each row. The seeds are pungent, warm and aromatic. Elettaria and Amomum are the two main genera of the ginger family that are named as forms of cardamom. Elettaria is commonly called cardamom, green cardamom, or true cardamom, whereas Amomum is commonly known as black cardamom, brown cardamom, Kravan, Java cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Siamese cardamom, white or red cardamom.

Plant Chemicals
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.

Uses & Benefits of Cardamom
Caution