A large herb up to 300 cm tall, with thick rhizome. Leaves are narrowly ovate-lanceolate, up to 40 cm x 9 cm. Inflorescence is ascending, on peduncle up to 8 cm long, with few flowers scattered from base to top, bracts membraneous, bracteoles tubular at the base. Flowers with corolla tube slightly longer than calyx, labellum spoon-shaped to almost circular and concave with emarginate apex, white with prominent middle vein, anther with a 3-lobed appendage having ear-shaped side lobes. Fruits are up to 2 cm long, reddish-brown and covered by small flexuous spines, difficult to break into 3 fragments.

As febrifuge and antiseptic (fruit)

PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation

Used to treat indigestion, diarrhoea, flatulence and toothache (fruit)

Wu X, Xiao F, Zhang Z, Li X, Xu Z. Research on the analgesic effect and mechanism of bornyl acetate in volatile oil from Amomum villosum. Zhong Yao Cai. 2005 Jun;28(6):505-7.