An erect, glabrous or minutely pubescent, branched annual, up to 90 cm tall. Stems striate; leaves rather distant, 2-3-pinnately divided, segments linear, ultimate segments 1.0-2.5 cm long; flowers in terminal or seemingly-lateral pedunculate, compound umbels, white, small; fruits ovoid, muricate, aromatic cremocarps, 2-3 mm long, greyish brown; mericarps compressed, with distinct ridges and tubercular surface, 1-seeded.

Diuretic and carminative (root); lowers blood pressure, depresses heart activity and antifungal (essential oil); carminative (fruit and root); stimulant and alleviates spasms (fruit); antispasmodic, stimulant, tonic and carminative (plant); strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, bitter, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, expectorant and tonic (seed oil).

Ajwain
Plants for a Future

Alpha-phellandrene, beta-phellandrene (plant); alpha and beta-pinene, camphene, carvacrol, delta-3-carene, gamma-terpinene, limonene, myrcene, nicotinic acid, p-cymene, riboflavin, thiamin, thymol (fruit).

For sore throat, bronchitis, diarrhea, increasing the secretion of gastric juices, alleviating spasms and as a tonic (fruit); as a carminative (root and fruit); in flatulence, atonic dyspepsia and diarrhoea and cholera (plant); colds, coughs, influenza, asthma, diarrhoea, cholera, colic, indigestion, wind, oedema, arthritis and rheumatism.

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.