Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Description of the plant

• Large cardamom is a herbaceous perennial with subterranean rhizomes, which gives rise to leafy shoots and spikes.
  
• The mature plant height ranges from 1.5 to 3.0 m. Leafy shoots are formed by long sheath-like stalks encircling one another.
  
• The leaves are green or dark green, glabrous on both the surfaces, with an acuminate apex.
  
• The inflorescence is a dense spike on a short peduncle bearing 40 to 50 flower buds in an acropetal sequence.
  
• The fruit is a trilocular, many- seeded capsule.
  
• The capsule wall is echinated and is reddish-brown to dark pink in colour.
  
• Wild species of Amomum also exist in Sikkim.