Amomum
| 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 | |
| |
Amomum is a genus of plants containing about 111 species native to China, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland. It includes several species of cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and aromatic properties.
Among ancient writers, the name amomum was ascribed to various odoriferous plants that cannot be positively identified today. The word derives from Latin amomum, which is the latinisation of the Greek ἄμωμον (amomon), a kind of an Indian spice plant. Edmund Roberts noted on his 1834 trip to China that amomum was used as a spice to "season sweet dishes" in culinary practice.