Zingiberaceae FAMILY

Aframomum angustifolium

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Madagascar cardamom is a herbaceous perennial plant producing dense stands of leafy stems 1.5 - 4 metres tall from a tuberous rootstock[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ]. The fruits and seeds are gathered from the wild for local use as a food and condiment. The plant is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit and seed[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. Drainage of swamps and cutting of riverine forests is a threat to this plant's survival[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical Africa - Guinea to Ethiopia, south to Angola, Zambia, Mozambique. Also in Madagascar and the Seychelles.

HabitatMoist shady places in hill savannah[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]. Common in moist areas in forest undergrowth, in riverine vegetation or at swamp edges at elevations of 1,000 - 1,700 metres in Tanzania[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ].