Wurfbainia uliginosa

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A tall ginger family herb. It grows 1.5-3 m high. The rhizome or underground stem is long and branched. It is 1 cm thick. The false stem has 40-45 leaves on each. The leaves are narrow and sword shaped. They are 15-50 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. They are shiny green above and light green underneath. They end in a long sharp point. The flower spikes are near the ground. They are on stalks 5-10 cm long with 1-3 flower bundles on each. 6-10 flowers open at once. The bracts are pinkish brown. The fruit are round to oval and 1-2 cm long by up to 1.5 cm wide. They are greenish red with prickles. The seeds are round and 3 mm across. There are 10-25 in each section. They are black.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in lowland rainforest and up to 1,000 m altitude. It grows along streams. In Queen Sirikit BG.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, SE Asia, Thailand

How it is used for food

The shoots are boiled and eaten as a vegetable. The rhizome is used as a spice in curry. The ripe fruit are eaten.

It is important in Laos.

Edible parts

Spice, fruit, shoots, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Kra wan paa, Mak neng khieo, Puar gajah, Puar hijau, Puar hutan, Tepus merah

Synonyms

Amomum ovoideum Pierre ex Gagnep.; Amomum robustum K. Schum.; Amomum uliginosum J. Koenig; Cardamomum uliginosum (J. Koenig) Kuntze;