Aframomum mala
(K. Schum.) K. Schum.
East African cardamon
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Summary
Source: WikipediaAframomum mala is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It was first described by Karl Moritz Schumann and Adolf Engler, and was given its current name by Karl Moritz Schumann. It is a rhizomatous geophyte native to Tanzania.
Description
A ginger family herb. The leafy shoots grow 2-4 m tall. It has extensive rhizomes 4-6 mm thick. The leaves are narrowly oval and 20-50 cm long by 5-11 cm wide. They are wedge shaped and taper to the tip. There are 5-6 flowers in a group. The come from the base of the leafy shoots. The fruit are oval and 4.5 cm long and 2 cm across. The seeds are 4 mm long by 2 mm wide.
Edible Uses
The fruits are eaten raw. The seeds are surrounded by masses of white sweet-acid pulp inside 3 membranes. The sweet, sugary pulp is frequently eaten as a snack - it is particularly liked by children. The fruit is a round to oval, tough, orange-red-black berry 7 - 9cm long including the calyx beak. The seeds are crushed and used as a spice like pepper.
Medicinal Uses
The crushed seeds are boiled with the roots of Piper capensis and drunk as an aphrodisiac.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the undergrowth and on the edges of mountain forests. It grows between 1,000-1,700 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania,
Other Uses
The dense stands formed by the plant are a favoured habitat for snakes, especially green mamba.
Notes
There are about 50 Aframomum species.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Osaye
References (9)
- Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 11
- e-monocot.org/taxon/urn:kew.org:wcs:taxon:218396
- Johns, T., and Kokwaro, J.O., 1991, Food Plants of the Luo of Siayo District, Kenya. Economic Botany 45(1), pp 103-113.
- Mutie, F. M., et al, 2023, Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches. Plants 2023, 12, 1145
- Nishida & Uehara, 1983,
Show all 9 references Hide references
- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 42
- Ruffo, C. K., Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B., 2002, Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania. RELMA p 114
- Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 10 (As Aframomum malum)
- von Katja Rembold, 2011, Conservation status of the vascular plants in East African rain forests. Dissertation Universitat Koblenz-Landau
