Malay cardamom
Meistera lappacea

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A herb in the ginger family. It grows 2-3 m high. It keeps growing from year to year. The stems are supported on short stilt roots and there is an underground stem or rhizome. The leaves are sword shaped and 53 cm long by 9 cm wide. The flower spikes are near the ground. The fruit are berry like and prickly with fleshy spines and on short 2 cm long stalks. The fruit are 3.5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. They are green.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland to mountain evergreen forests up to 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Thailand

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten. The seeds are used for flavouring. They are like a wild cardamon.

Edible parts

Seeds - spice, fruit

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed or division of the rhizome.

Its other names

Local names

Apush, Lempus, Sayang, Tepus rambutan

Synonyms

Amomum lappaceum Ridl.; Amomum perakense Ridl.;