Amomum subulatum

Amomum subulatum Roxb., Fl. Ind. 1: 43 1820. (Syn: Cardamomum subulatum (Roxb.) Kuntze);

Nepal to Central China: Assam, Bangladesh, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet as per POWO;
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Common name: Black Cardamom, hill cardamom, Bengal cardamom, greater cardamom, Indian cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged cardamom, brown cardamom • Hindi: बड़ी इलायची Bari ilaichi • Kashmiri: Bari aleh بڑہ ألہ • Nepali: अलैंची, ठूलो सुकुमेल Alaichi, Thulo sukumel • Urdu: Bari elaichi الائچی پوربی
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Black cardamom, also known as hill cardamom,^[1] Bengal cardamom,^[1] greater cardamom,^[1] Indian cardamom,^[1] Nepal cardamom,^[1] winged cardamom,^[1] or brown cardamom, comes from either of two species in the family Zingiberaceae.

Its seed pods have a strong camphor-like flavor, with a smoky character derived from the method of drying.

The pods are used as a spice, in a similar manner to the green Indian cardamom pods, but with a different flavor. Unlike green cardamom, this spice is rarely used in sweet dishes. Its smoky flavor and aroma derive from traditional methods of drying over open flames.

At least two distinct species of black cardamom occur: Amomum subulatum (also known as Nepal cardamom) and A. costatum. The pods of A. subulatum, used primarily in the cuisines of India and certain regional cuisines of Pakistan, are the smaller of the two, while the larger pods of A. costatum (Chinese: wiktionary:草果; pinyin: cǎoguǒ; Vietnamese: thảo quả) are used in Chinese cuisine, particularly that of Sichuan; and Vietnamese cuisine.

(From Wikipedia on 20.6.14)
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Sikkim WB tour : Id Plz : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (2).

Can anyone help me Id this Zingiberaceae plant
Picture taken at Pelling Sikkim May 2014

This is a cultivar of Amomum subulatum Roxb., commonly known as Large or Black Cardamom/ Badi Elaichi.

Thanks … Also i got this identified as Amomum subulatumon by … on Indian flora facebook group too

It is Amomum subulatum or large cardamom. Hope it is cultivated.

we found it in forest .. growing wild

To Validate-Amomum subulatum from Sikkim:: NS June 01 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (8).

This beautiful Zinziberacean was shot from near Pelling in Sikkim this May..

was growing wild, later came to know through this forum that this is a cultivated species..
Id has already been concluded as Amomum subulatum through a posting by … please validate..

Thanks … for sharing these sharp shots.

The forked veins on the labellum are indicative of this being an (escaped?) cultivar of Amomum subulatum Roxb. The key differences between the true wild species and its cultivars are described thus in the attached paper:

“A. subulatum described by Roxburgh differs from plants under cultivation in some attributes. In wild plants the lip is oblong and the apex is somewhat truncate in shape, all bands are parallel, equidistant and not branching, whereas in cultivars the apex of lip is somewhat rounded in shape, bands dividing, not parallel and equidistant.” – Taxonomic studies on cultivars of Amomum subulatum (Zingiberaceae) by V. P. Thomas, M. Sabu and U. Gupta [Rheedea, Vol. 19 (1 & 2), p. 27, 2009].
Attachments (1)- Amomum subulatum_Rheedea19_25-36.pdf

Thanks … for this research paper and your interest in the post..

Araceae, Arecaceae and Zingiberaceae Fortnight: Araceae : 4 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (2).
Sharing picture of Amomum subulatum, Zingiberaceae
from Pelling Sikkim May 2014