Perelam / Java Cardamom
Amomum pterocarpum
Also known as East-Himalayan Cardamom
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering
- May-June
How to identify Perelam
Identify Perelam by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: May-June.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.
- Confirm it sits within the Zingiberaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Perelam.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Amomum pterocarpum
- Genus
- Amomum
- Family
- Zingiberaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering & fruiting
- May-June
- Conservation status
- Rare (R)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Zingiberaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Capsule
Typical of the Zingiberaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- Perelam
About Perelam
A member of the Zingiberaceae family, Java Cardamom (Amomum pterocarpum) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It grows in semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from May to June.
Zingiberaceae
Ginger family
Perelam belongs to the Zingiberaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Zingiberaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Perelam or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides