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Javan cardamom (Amomum compactum)

Kapulaga or Javan cardamom (Amomum compactum) is a plant species in the Zingiberaceae, a strong, chronic herb, aromatic in various parts, a rhizome that grows underground, slightly rounded, yellowish-white, often used as a spice for certain dishes and a mixture of herbs.

A. compactum has pseudo-stems that appear somewhat scattered in a colony, growing upright to 2 m high, rounded, up to 2.5 cm in diameter and dark green. Roots 1-2 cm, yellowish white and covered with scales.

Dlium Javan cardamom (Amomum compactum)


The leaves are arranged alternately, have no stalk, lanceolate shape, 7.5-50 cm long, 3-10 cm wide, slowly narrows at the base, pointed tip with 3 cm long apex, dark green and shiny with many spots initially white but ultimately red.

Inflorescences arise directly from the rhizome, separate from the artificial stem and sometimes partially submerge in the soil. The bunches have stalks up to 10 cm long and covered with dense scales.

The petals are tubular, 1.3 cm long and have hair. The crown is in the form of a tuba, has 3 leaves each 8 mm long, has an oval ribbon shape and is white or yellowish in color.

Labellum round egg-wide, 15-18 mm long, 10-15 mm wide, narrow base, smooth hair on the inside, yellow in color with a dark purple or white center band with a yellow middle band flanked by purple lines.







The fruit is a slightly depressed round capsule, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, tightly lined and has short smooth hair, crowned with floral adornments. The seeds are small, protected in whitish aryles.

Kapulaga grows wild in hills, high humidity, rainfall 2,500-4,000 mm/year, annual temperature 23-28C, shade, soils with good dreinase, pH 5-6,8 and has a high organic matter content.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Amomum
Species: Amomum compactum

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