Botanical Name

Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton

Family

Zingiberaceae/Scitamineae.

Synonyms

Alpinia cardamomum (L.) Roxb., Amomum cardamomum L., Amomum ensal Raeusch., Cardamomum malabaricum Pritz., Cardamomum officinale Salisb., Elettaria cardamomum var. minuscula Burkill., Matonia cardamomum (L.) Stephenson & J.M.Churchill, Zingiber minus Gaertn.

Regional Name

English : Cardamom, Hindi : Choti Ilayachi, Sanskrit : Truti, Ela, Urdu : Heel Khurd, Punjabi : Illachi, Chhoti Lachi, Gujrati : Elchi, Elachi, Elayachi, Assamese : Sarooplaachi, Bengali : Chota elaich, Kannada : Elakki, SannaYalakki, Kashmiri : Kath, Malayalam : Elam, Chittelam, Marathi : Velloda, Lahanveldoda, Velchi, Oriya : Gujurati, Chotaa leicha, Alaicha, Tamil : Siruelam, Telugu : Chinne Elakulu, Sanna Elakulu.

Part Used

Fruit.

Description

Choti ilayachi is globally distributed in Indo-Malesia. It is also grown in Nepal, Vietnam,  Thailand, Sri Lanka and Central America. In India, the states of Karnataka and Kerala are the main producers. Suksmaila is a stout large perennial herb, growing naturally in moist forests of Western Ghats an elevation from 750-1500m. Fruit are 1-2 cm long ovoid or oblong and more or less three sided with rounded, angles, greenish to pale-buff or yellowish in colour, base rounded or with the remains of pedicle, apex shortly beaked, surface almost smooth or with slight longitudinal striations, small trilocular fruit, each containing about 15-20 seeds in a row of doubles, adhering together to form compact mass. Seed-dark brown to black, about 4 mm long and 3 mm broad, irregularly angular, transverscIy wrinkled but not pitted, with a longitudinal channel containing raphe, enclosed in a colourless, membranous aril, odour, strongly aromatic, taste, characteristic.  Phytoconstituents Choti ilayachi contains volatile oil (3-6%, containing terpene and terpineol), cineol, starch and gum. It is also contains a-pinene, b-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, a-phellandrene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, y-terpinene, p-cymene, terpinolene, D-Limonene, linalool, linalyl acetate, terpinen-4-oil, a-terpineol, a-terpineol acetate, camphor, Camphene, citral, citronellol, sitosterol, nerol, geraniol, methyl eugenol and trans-nerolidol.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Madhura, Katu, Guna :Laghu, Vipaka :Madhura, Virya :Sita, Karma :Anulomana, Dipana, Hrdya, Mutrala, Rocana.

Ayurvedic Applications

Aruci, Svasa, Chardi, Kasa, Mutrakrcchra.

Medicinal Uses

Choti ilayachi is used in diseases blood pressure, asthma, cough and cold, chronic respiratory disorders, tuberculosis, indigestion, dysuria, urinary retention, anorexia, neuralgia, paralysis, constipation, bloating,  piles, pain and burning sensation, nausea, vomiting sensation, irritable bowel syndrome, gas build up in stomach, gastritis, haemorrhoids, digestive system, respiratory system, cardiac diseases and improves digestion strength.