Other Names: Green Cardamom, Small Cardamom, True Cardamom, Cardamomo, Cardamome, Kardamom, Karde-mumma, Hale, Habahaan, Cardamamus, Cardamone & Choti Elaichi.

Description: Cardamom is an aromatic, tropical, evergreen perennial herb, native to southern India and Sri Lanka that grows to a height of 2–5 metres. The leaves are alternate, linear-lanceolate, dark green on the upper surface, paler glaucous green on the underside and are 40–60cm in length with a pointed tip. The flowering stems are horizontal and creeping and produce 2-lipped flowers alternately along the stem which are yellowish-white to pale violet in colour with magenta markings on the upper petal. The ovoid, triangular fruits are yellowish-green in colour and 1–2cm in length, and contain 12-15 small black seeds.