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Elettaria cardamomum
Biotic zone Western Ghats +
Bloom type Perennial +
Class Liliopsida +
Commercial application Human consumption  + , Medicinal use  + , Cosmetic use  +
Commercial use description Mostly used for food preparations. Some other uses also exist, such as adjuvant for some drugs and in perfumes.  +
Common Indian names इलाएची Elaichi (Hindi);इलाची Elachi (Marathi);Elam Ancha (Tamil);Elatarri (Malayalam);Elaki (Telugu);Elakki (Kannada);Elaichi (Urdu);الاچی,Trutih (Sanskrit)  +
Common hindi name इलाएची Elaichi  +
Common name Cardamom, Green cardamom  +
Cultivation details Cardamom is a shade loving plant (40-60%) Cardamom is a shade loving plant (40-60%) cultivated in an altitude of 600 to 1200 m above MSL with an annual rainfall of 1500 to 4000 mm and a temperature range of 10 to 35°C. It is susceptible to wind and hence, gentle sloppy lands facing eastern or northern directions are considered ideal for its cultivation. It is generally grown in the evergreen forests where the surface soil is enriched by the deposition of organic matter due to organic recycling. The cardamom soils are found to be clay loam, distinctly acidic (5.0 to 6.6 pH), rich in organic matter (5.92%) and low in available phosphorous (14.71 kg/ha) and potassium (156.2 kg/ha) depicting the characteristics of the humid tropic soils (Kulkarni et al., 1971). It grows on a variety of soils from white quartz gravel, with only a shallow zone of humus accumulation, to chocolate coloured forest loams extending to considerable depths below the humus layer and red loamy soils. The soil depth is fairly deep with good drainage. Most of the cardamom growing soils are situated in heavy rainfall areas and therefore suffers from leaching of nutrients (Zachariah 1975)rom leaching of nutrients (Zachariah 1975)  +
Division/Phylum Magnoliophyta +
Endemic Western Ghats true  +
Family Zingiberaceae +
Food plant part Fruit  + , Seeds  +
Food use Yes  +
Food use description Cardamom is used in several Indian food prCardamom is used in several Indian food preparations. In industry, it is used to flavor pickles, canned soup, baked goods, condiments, sauces and meat. A very popular use of Cardamom in India, especially southern part of India, is as a spice in tea and coffee.of India, is as a spice in tea and coffee.  +
Genus Elettaria +
Habitat details Cardamom is a shade loving plant (40-60%) Cardamom is a shade loving plant (40-60%) cultivated in an altitude of 600 to 1200 m above MSL with an annual rainfall of 1500 to 4000 mm and a temperature range of 10 to 35°C. It is susceptible to wind and hence, gentle sloppy lands facing eastern or northern directions are considered ideal for its cultivation. It is generally grown in the evergreen forests where the surface soil is enriched by the deposition of organic matter due to organic recycling. The cardamom soils are found to be clay loam, distinctly acidic (5.0 to 6.6 pH), rich in organic matter (5.92%) and low in available phosphorous (14.71 kg/ha) and potassium (156.2 kg/ha) depicting the characteristics of the humid tropic soils (Kulkarni et al., 1971). It grows on a variety of soils from white quartz gravel, with only a shallow zone of humus accumulation, to chocolate coloured forest loams extending to considerable depths below the humus layer and red loamy soils. The soil depth is fairly deep with good drainage. Most of the cardamom growing soils are situated in heavy rainfall areas and therefore suffers from leaching of nutrients (Zachariah 1975)rom leaching of nutrients (Zachariah 1975)  +
Header caption Cardamom fruit and seeds  +
Header image Elettaria cardamomum2.jpg  +
IUCN status Not Evaluated  +
Introdescription ''Elettaria cardamomum'' is the spice Card''Elettaria cardamomum'' is the spice Cardamom or "Elaichi" used for cooking in many parts of the world and in India. It is popularly used to spice up tea in India. Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India, they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds. Elettaria pods are light green while Amomum pods are larger and dark brown. (Source: Wikipedia)arger and dark brown. (Source: Wikipedia)  +
Leaf petiole type Petiolated  +
Leaf shape Lanceolate  +
Life cycle details The flowering period is during March-SepteThe flowering period is during March-September with peak period during June-August. The mean number of days required from initiation of flower to opening of last flower in the panicle is 210. The mean number of days to reach full bloom from bud initiation is 34.5. Time taken for full maturity of a capsule from flower opening is 114 days. The flowers remain open for a period of 13-14 hours. Flower opening starts at 4.15 am and extends up to 9.00 am during winter. Maximum flower opening is during 5 to 6 am. Dehiscence of anthers occurred within half an hour of flower opening. The highest percentage of pollen germination occurred between 6 to 10 am. Stigmatic receptivity is maximum during 8 to 11 am. The flowers are often cross-pollinated but self-pollination is not uncommon. Young panicles require 6- months to complete the flowering and flowering to harvest stage of capsule is extended about 120-130 days depending on the climatic conditions. Cardamom flower is bisexual and is adapted to entomophilous type of pollination. They very structure of the flower, attractive nature of the petals, and the production of nectar in the epigynous glands are adaptations for accomplishing cross-pollination. The chief pollinator of cardamom is honey bee. Two species namely Apis cerana indica and A. dorsata contribute to over 90% of pollination. Peak foraging is recorded between 9 am and 11 am depending upon environmental conditions. Three to five visits per flower is optimum for pollination. The flora in cardamom plantation comprises of 37 species, out of which 19 are trees. Shade trees such as Vernonia arborea, Ficus retusa and Cassia fistula are the major sources for nectar. A limited pollination occurred through ants and rainwater.ation occurred through ants and rainwater.  +
Medicinal active compound details Most of the active compounds come from the volatile Cardamom oil, which varies from 6 to 10% of the mature seed weight.  +
Medicinal significance Yes  +
Medicinal system Ayurveda +
Medicinal use description Cardamom is used as an adjuvant to carminaCardamom is used as an adjuvant to carminative drugs. It is officially recognised in British and US pharmacopoeias and used as an aromatic stimulant, carminative and flavouring agent. It can be used to ease cigarette addiction. Eating a few seeds of cardamom can safely be recommended to initially minimise the number if cigarettes being smoked, and slowly the smoker may give up the chronic addiction to chain smoking up the chronic addiction to chain smoking  +
Name meaning The word cardamom is derived from the LatiThe word cardamom is derived from the Latin "cardamomum",the romanization of the Greek "καρδάμωμον" (kardamomon), in turn from "κάρδαμον" (kardamon), "cress" + "ἄμωμον" (amomon), a kind of an Indian spice plant. The earliest attested form of the word kardamon is the Mycenaean Greek ka-da-mi-ja, written in Linear B syllabic script. (Wikipedia Cardamom) Cardamom, popularly known as ‘Queen of Spices’, is the dried fruit of the tall perennial herbaceous plant Elettaria cardamomum Maton, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae. The generic name is probably derived from the ancient Tamil word ‘elattari’ meaning the seed of ‘Elam’ (Sasya Sampada) It is said that cardamom grew in the gardens of King of Babylon in 720 BC. The ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom to whiten their teeth and simultaneously sweeten their breath. Indian Ayurvedic Medicine used the spice to ‘remove fat’ and as a cure for urinary and skin complaints. Recommended by Apicius, a famous Roman epicure, to counteract over indulgence. Used in Saudi Arabia for preparing traditional coffee – cardamom drink called ‘Gahwa’, which is given to visitors as a symbol of Arab hospitality and as an inducement to tranquil thoughts. It is a tradition that the ritual of coffee is not disturbed by discussion of business terms, and so negotiations are not entered into until the coffee has been sipped and enjoyed in peace. Gahwa is made from roasted green coffee beans, crushed with brass pestle and mortar and put into a small brass coffee maker with hot water, broken cardamom pods, cardamom seeds, sugar and a pinch of ground cloves. The coffee is then boiled for 2-3 minutes, strained and served ‘black’ in delicate little cups (Sasya Sampada)k’ in delicate little cups (Sasya Sampada)  +
Native species Yes  +
Order Zingiberales +
Page creation date 15 August 2010  +
Plant commercial Yes  +
Plant commercial part Flower  + , Fruit  +
Plant cultivation state Karnataka  + , Kerala  + , Pondicherry  + , Tamil Nadu  +
Plant height More than 10 feet  +
Plant medicinal part Fruit  + , Seeds  +
Plant type Herb  +
Propagation method Seeds  + , Vegetative propagation  + , Micropropagation  +
Regnum Plantae +
Seed dispersal Entomophily (By insects)  +
Species name w:Elettaria cardamomum +
State Karnataka  + , Kerala  + , Pondicherry  + , Tamil Nadu  +
Time of harvesting Winter  + , Post-monsoon  +
User ID User:Gauravm +
Water need High  +
Has queryThis property is a special property in this wiki. Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum + , Elettaria cardamomum +
Categories Pages with a map rendered by the Maps extension  + , Stubs  + , Plants  + , Species page  +
Modification dateThis property is a special property in this wiki. 6 September 2010 15:17:26  +
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