Wurfbainia gracilis
(Blume) Skornick. & A. D. Poulsen
Slender cardamom, Ela-ela
gbif· cc0
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
gbif· cc0
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
gbif· cc0
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Description
A ginger family herb. There is a small creeping rhizome and branched runners or stolons. It has slender leafy stems 110 cm tall. These are swollen at the base. The leaves are sword shaped and 25-35 cm long by 3-4 cm wide. The flowering shoot is short and 5.5 cm long. The fruit is 1-1.5 cm long with 3 grooves. They are red and have small straight prickles.
Edible Uses
The seeds are used as a spice. The leaves serve as a spice and flavoring agent.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are used as a spice and flavouring.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The fruit are chewed for nausea and indigestion.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It grows below 100 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Asia, Indonesia*, Malaysia, SE Asia,
Notes
There are about 150 Amomum species. They are mostly tropical. The fruit are chewed for nausea and indigestion.
Also Known As
Ela-ela, Serkom
References (4)
- Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 1 (A-H) p 133 (As Amomum gracile)
- Enum. pl. Javae 49. 1827 (As Amomum gracile)
- Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 36 (As Amomum gracile)
- Useful Tropical Plants (As Amomum gracile) World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
