Botanical name: Elettaria cardamomum    Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)
Synonyms: Amomum cardamomum, Amomum repens, Alpinia cardamomum

Cardamom is a typical ginger-type plant except that it is huge, standing as much as 12 ft tall. Thick, fleshy rhizomes give rise to erect shoots that bear two rows of linear-lance-shaped leaves each about 2 ft long. The leaves are smooth and dark green above, silky and paler beneath. They taper to an acute point. The inflorescences develop on separate, horizontal stems that spread along the ground. They are loose panicles about 2 ft long, consisting of many small blossoms that have white or yellowish petals with lilac veins and pink or yellow margins. The fruits are thin-walled, smooth-skinned, oblong, greenish capsules about 1-2 cm long. Each contains 15-20 aromatic reddish brown seeds. Cardamom pods are common in Indian cooking.

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The flower labeled Cardamom is ...