Botanical Name

Amomum subulatum Roxb.

Family

Zingiberaceae.

Synonyms

Cardamomum subulatum (Roxb.) Kuntze.

Regional Name

English : The Greater Cardamom, Hindi : Baraa-elaachi, Badi ilaayachi, Sanskrit : sambhava, sthulaela, sthulaila, surabhitvaka, tadaphala, tridivodbhava, triputa, Urdu : Ilaayachi badi, Heel kalan, Punjabi : Budi eleichi, Gujrati : Mothi elichi, Moto-elachi, Bengali : Bara elachi, Baara aliachi, Bad elaach, Kannada :Dodda yalakki, Malayalam :Valiya elam, Perelam, Peri-elav, Marathi : Mothe elaayachi, Moteveldode, Oriya : Badaa alaicha, Alaicha, Tamil : Periya elam, Telugu :Peddayelaki, Pedda elakulu.

Part Used

Fruit.

Description

Badi Ilayachi is said to be wild in eastern himalayas but cultivated in East Nepal, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam hills. It is a perennial rhizomatous herb up to a height of 1.5 to 2 m. Fruits are indehiscent capsules, dark brown with occasional pink tinge; ovate - elliptic, 1 to 3 cm long and 1 to 2 cm broad, slightly three angular and three loculed; each locule with a ragged membraneous septum; fruit rind coarsely striated; each fruit bears 20 to 70 seeds held in a viscid pulpy mass; seeds are  ovate - elliptic and angular, brownish black, 2 to 4 mm long and 2 to 3 mm broad in size; membraneous aril present; aromatic and strongly pungent with a camphoraceous taste.

Phytoconstituents

It contains Volatile oil predominantly containing cineol with other constituents such as α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, α-terpinene, β-terpinene, limonene, p-cymene, terpinenol, α-terpineol, δ-terpineol and nerolidol.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Tikta, Katu, Guna : Laghu, Ruksa, Vipaka : Katu, Virya : Usna, Karma :Anulomana, Dipana, Hrdya, Kaphahara, Mutrala, Pittasaraka, Sirahsodhaka, Vatahara.

Ayurvedic Applications

Aruci , Bastivikara, Chardi, Dantaroga, Hallasa , Kaudu, Kantharoga, Kasa, Mukharoga, Raktapitta, Raktavikara, Sirroroga, Sula, Svasa, Trsna,  Tvakroga, Visavikara, Vrana.

Medicinal Uses

It is used in different diseases Tastelessness, Emesis, Disease of tooth, Bone fracture, Nausea, Itching, Disease of throat, Disease of mouth, Cough, Asthma, Ulcer, Bleeding disorder, Disorders of blood, Disease of head, Pain / colic, Thirst, Skin diseases, Disorders due to poison.