Characteristics
A ginger family herb. It grows 2-3 m tall. The rhizome has a scent. It can be 1.5 cm across. The false stems are 20-50 cm apart. There are 20-40 leaves on each false stem. They become smaller up the stem. The leaf blade is 13-45 cm long by 1-9 cm wide. There are 1-3 flowering stalks near the base. These are 5-15 cm long. The fruit are up to 1.5 cm long. They are prickly. They are greenish-red or reddish-brown. The seeds are angular to round and 2-3 mm across. They are brown and turn black. There are 15 in each section.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
free-standing
|
| Foliage retention |
-
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
1.75 - 3.0
|
| Root system |
rhizome
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
0.2
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | | Apr | May | Jun | | Jul | Aug | Sep | | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | | Apr | May | Jun | | Jul | Aug | Sep | | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
-
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
-
|
Environment
A tropical plant. It is grown as an under-storey plant in forest. It grows in open lowland and mountain evergreen forest. It grows between 100-1,650 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The seeds are used as a substitute for true cardamom. The leaves are cooked and used as a vegetable.
Cultivation
Can be grown by seedlings.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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