Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants
Amomum subulatum
Genus: Amomum
Botanical name: Amomum subulatum
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit: Sthulaila, Bhadraila
Hindi: Badiilyachi, Bari ilyachi
English: Winged-Fruit Ginger, Hill cardamom, Black cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Indian cardamom, Nepal cardamom, Brown cardamom
Malayalam: Perelam
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Perelam is a herb with stems up to 2 m tall, clumped, erect. Rhizome is up to 4 cm thick, old ones blue inside. Leaves are up to 50 x 12 cm, elliptic-oblong, pointed at both ends, hairless, usually clustered towards the tip, leaf-stalks 3 cm long; ligule 3 mm long, whitish. Flowers are borne in spikes which are 5-15 cm long, 3-4 together, bracts 6-7 x 4 cm, broadly elliptic, obtuse, pale pink. Flowers are solitary in a bract; lip 4 x 3 cm, obviate, white with yellow centre. Capsule are 3 cm long, hairless, with 3-8 mm broad entire wings.
The seeds of Perelam is used for headache, stomach pain, cholera or other infections, flatulence, peptic ulcer, vomiting, wounds, ulcers, cardiac debility, cough, bronchitis and fever. Decoction of its seeds is used as a gargle in affections of teeth and gums. In Chinese medicine, black cardamom is used for stomach disorders and malaria