It is a tall, herbaceous perennial herb with branching subterranean rootstock, from which arise a number of upright leafy shoots, bearing alternate, elliptical or lanceolate sheathing leaves. The flowers are borne in panicles, arising from the base of vegetative shoots. The flowers are bisexual but self-sterile, and open in succession from the base towards the tip. Fruits are trilocular capsules, fusifrom to oviod, pale green to yellow in colour, containing 15 to 20 hard, brownish black, angled and rugose seeds, covered by a thin mucilaginous membrane.

Carminative, stimulant (aromatic); stimulates the apetite, antimicrobial, antiaflatoxic, invigorates the heart, analgesic, antiinflammatory, refreshes the breath and aphrodisiac.

1,8-cineole, alpha-phellandrene, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpinene, alpha-terpineol, beta-pinene, borneol, camphene, camphor, citronellol, gamma-terpinene, limonene, myrcene, nerol, nerolidol, p-cymene, terpinen-4-ol (fruit); alpha-tocopherol, beta-sitosterol, eugenyl-acetate, linoleic acid, niacin, oleic acid, palmitic acid, riboflavin, stearic acid, stigmasterol, thiamin (seed); terpinyl acetate (volatile seed oil); citronellal, geraniol, linalyl-acetate (plant)

As an adjuvant for drugs with a carminative or laxative effect, in flatulence, colic and indigestion. It is used as an aromatic stimulant, carminative and flavouring agent. Powdered cardamom mixed with ginger, cloves and caraway is a good stomachic useful in atonic dyspepsia. In herbal medicine, cardamoms are chewed slowly to sweeten the breath, as aphrodisiac, to sooth digestion, stimulate appetite, used against flatulance, colics and disorders of body, often combined with purgatives to offset griping.

None known

Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.