Elettaria ensal
(Gaertn.) Abeyw.
Long cardamom
Wikimedia Commons - No Author Listed
No Author Listed (via Wikimedia Commons)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds - spice
The seeds are occasionally used as a spice or to adulterate cardamom.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry evergreen forests.
Asia, India, Sri Lanka*,
How to Identify
A ginger family herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The stems are leafy and 2-3 m tall. The leaves are narrowly sword shaped and softly hairy underneath. They are 30-60 cm long and 5-10 cm wide. There are several flower panicles up to 60 cm long. These have 2-4 flowers. The fruit is a 3 sided capsule 2.5 cm long.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Elettaria ensal is a monocotyledonous plant species that was first described by Joseph Gaertner, and got its current name from Bartholomeusz Aristides Abeywickrama. Elettaria ensal is part of the genus Elettaria and the family Zingiberaceae.
Other Information
It is cultivated.
Names & Synonyms
Elam
References (3)
- Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 144 (As Elettaria major)
- Wiersema, J. H. & Leon, B., 2013, World Economic Plants. A Standard Reference CRC Press. 2nd Ed. p 268 (As Elettaria major)
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
