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Aframomum melegueta

Authority Schumann Family Liliopsida:Zingiberidae:Zingiberales:Zingiberaceae Synonyms Common names alligator pepper, grains of Paradise, Guinea grains, malagueta, melagueta pepper, semente do Paraiso Editor Ecocrop code 2872

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A herbaceous plant reaching 1-4 m in height. The stem is short and marked with scars of fallen leaves. The leaves are about 30 cm long and 12 cm wide, with close nerves below. The flowers are handsome, aromatic and with orange-coloured lip and a rich pinkish-orange upper part. The fruits are fleshy and indehiscent, and contains numerous small golden- or red-brown seeds. USES The cardemom-flavored seeds are used as a spice and carminative and the can also be used to spice wine and beer. Fruit, seed, leaf and rhizome have medicinal properties. The fruit is edible. GROWING PERIOD Perennial. COMMON NAMES Melegueta-pepper, Grains of paradise, Guinea grains, Guinea pepper, Alligator pepper, Itoku, Naimaku, Balankufo, Balankunfo, Wisa-pa, Fam-wisa, Megbe-dogboe, Chitta, Gyan'damar yayi, Aburo, Abro, Kolumbua, Apokuo, Mpoma, Awusa, Dzekuli, Chilla, Guyan'damar yaji, Ehie ado, Ntuen, Ose oji, Ose okwa, Ikehegh, Obro. FURTHER INF Scientific synonym: Amomum melegueta. Melegueta-pepper is native of West Africa and occurs throughout tropical Africa.
Sources
SOURCES (A. melegueta (Roscoe) K. Schum.) Hackett C 1982 pp 39 [FER, PHO, DEP, PH, TEXT, TEMP] Roecklein J 1987 pp 395 [USE] Duke J 1975 pp 5 [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Purseglove J 1972 pp 520 [USE] Pruthi J 1993 pp 115 Iwu M 1993 pp 109-109 [USE]