Amomum
Amomum is a genus of plants native to China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland.[1][3] It includes several species of cardamom, especially black cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and aromatic properties.[4][5]
| Amomum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Amomum subulatum (black cardamom) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Zingiberaceae |
| Subfamily: | Alpinioideae |
| Tribe: | Alpinieae |
| Genus: | Amomum Roxb. |
| Species | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Among ancient writers, the name amomum was ascribed to various odoriferous plants that cannot be positively identified today. The word derives from Latin amomum,[6] which is the latinisation of the Greek ἄμωμον (amomon), a kind of an Indian spice plant.[7] Edmund Roberts noted on his 1834 trip to China that amomum was used as a spice to "season sweet dishes" in culinary practice.[8]
Selected species
See list of Amomum species for a complete list.
The following have further information:
- Amomum exertum
- Amomum smithiae
- Amomum subulatum (black cardamom) - type species
Placed elsewhere
The following species are now placed in other genera:
- Amomum compactum is Alpinia nutans
- Amomum costatum is Hornstedtia costata (Roxb.) K.Schum.
- Amomum dallachyi is a synonym of Meistera dallachyi (F.Muell.) Skornick. & M.F.Newman
- Amomum epiphyticum R.M.Sm. is a synonym of Epiamomum epiphyticum (R.M.Sm.) A.D.Poulsen & Skornick.
- Amomum filiforme is Hedychium coronarium
- Amomum pulchellum is Cyphostigma (monotypic)
- Amomum tsao-ko is Lanxangia tsaoko
- Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton is: Amomum ensal, Amomum repens, Amomum repens & Amomum uncinatum
- Amomum mioga is Zingiber mioga
- Amomum melegueta is Aframomum melegueta
- Amomum zambesiacum is Aframomum zambesiacum
Now be placed in the reconstituted genus Wurfbainia:
See also
References
- Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- POWO: Elettariopsis Baker
- Flora of China v 24 p 347, 豆蔻属 dou kou shu, Amomum Roxburgh, Pl. Coromandel. 3: 75. 1820.
- Govaerts, R. (1995). World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2): 1-483, 1-529. MIM, Deurne.
- Lamxay, V. & Newman, M.F. (2012). A revision of Amomum (Zingiberaceae) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 69: 99-206.
- amomum, Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, on Perseus Digital Library
- ἄμωμον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- Roberts, Edmund (1837). Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 138.
External links
Media related to Amomum at Wikimedia Commons