Malamalai, Milmilau
Meistera aculeata

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A plant in the ginger family. The leaves are long and on a long, leafy stalk up to 2-4 m tall. These leaves arise from an underground stem or rhizome. The leaves are long and narrow and sword shaped. Leaf blades can be 60-90 cm long by 6-16 cm wide. They are dark green and shiny above and dull whitish green underneath. It is not easy to see side veins in the leaf. The base of the leaf blade is like a broad wedge shape. The bottom of the leaf clings around the leaf stalk. Near the leaf sheath and blade is a small leafy structure 6-12 mm long. The flower is narrow with pink or brown bracts. These continue to hang on the flower. The fruit is a round cluster of tightly packed seed heads with spiky lumps over the surface. They have soft tender prickles. The fruit is green. The individual fruit capsules are 25 mm across by 30 mm long. The small individual flower stalks are 1-2 cm long.

There are about 150 Amomum species. They are mostly tropical.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows wild in the tropical lowland rainforest up to about 800 m or 1000 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are cooked and the seeds eaten. Sometimes the seeds of ripe fruit are eaten raw.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

It grows wild from seed. Plants can be grown by division of the rhizome.

Plants occur in primary and secondary forests in the tropics in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

Its other names

Local names

Asabareng, Orom, Parahulu, Parahulu cardamom, Sil bange

Synonyms

Amomum aculeatum Roxb.; Amomum aurantiacum Ridl.; Amomum ciliatum Blume; Amomum flavum Ridley; Amomum hatuanum Nees; Cardamomum aculeatum (Roxb.) Kuntze; Cardamomum ciliatum (Blume) Kuntze;