Aframomum melegueta

Grains of paradise

Aframomum melegueta is a species belonging to the family of the ginger family ( Zingiberaceae ) is within the monocot plants. It is native to West Africa and is cultivated in many parts of Africa. Grains of Paradise, also known as Guinea pepper or Meleguetapfeffer, are the dried seeds, used as a spice and drug.

Description

Aframomum melegueta grows as a perennial herbaceous plant with a typical ginger family habit and reaches stature heights of 1.5 meters. It is a rhizome formed as Überdauerungsorgan.

At the base of the plant pink or white inflorescences are formed. The flowers are hermaphrodite and zygomorphic. There shall be set up to 10 centimeters long fruit capsules. The rehroten seeds are about 2 millimeters in size. The drug is called " grana paradisi ".

Taxonomy

The first description of this kind was made in 1828 by William Roscoe under the basionym Amomum melegueta Roscoe. Karl Moritz Schumann presented in 1904 under the name Aframomum melegueta ( Roscoe ) K.Schum. in the genus Aframomum. Another synonym for Aframomum melegueta ( Roscoe ) K.Schum. is Aframomum meleguetella K.Schum.

Trivial names

Trivial names in different languages ​​:

  • German: Guinea pepper, Meleguetapfeffer, Malagettapfeffer, grains of paradise
  • Arabic: جوزة السودان, جوزة الشرق, Jouz as- Sudan, Jouz ash- sharq, Jouz al - Sudan, Gawz al - Sudan, Gawz al -shark, Jawz as- Sirk, Tin al - Fil, Khayrbûâ, Qâqullah Dhakar
  • English: Grains of paradise, Guinea grains, melegueta pepper, pepper Meleguetta, Maleguetta, pepper, alligator pepper
  • French: Graines de Paradis, Malaguette, Poivre de Guinée, Maniguette, Maniquette
  • Spanish: Malaguenta at Pimienta de malagueta
  • Estonian: aframon Melegeti
  • Italian: Grani de Meleguetta, Maniguetta
  • Russian: Rajskiye zyorna, Malagvet
  • Turkish: Africa kakulesi
Zingiberales Perennial plant Adolf Engler Agricultural Research Service
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