Amomum | |
---|---|
Amomum subulatum (black cardamom) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Zingiberales |
Family: | Zingiberaceae |
Subfamily: | Alpinioideae |
Tribe: | Alpinieae |
Genus: |
Amomum Roxb. |
Species | |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Amomum is a genus of plants native to China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland. [1] [3] It includes several species of cardamom, especially black cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and aromatic properties. [4] [5]
Among ancient writers, the name amomum was ascribed to various odoriferous plants that cannot be positively identified today. The word derives from Latin amomum, [6] which is the latinisation of the Greek ἄμωμον (amomon), a kind of an Indian spice plant. [7] Edmund Roberts noted on his 1834 trip to China that amomum was used as a spice to "season sweet dishes" in culinary practice. [8]
See list of Amomum species for a complete list.
The following have further information:
The following species are now placed in other genera:
Now be placed in the reconstituted genus Wurfbainia: