6G1 



pp, 87-89, *' Turmeric," in Spices, Ridley, pp. 422-444 



(Macmillan & Co., Ltd., London, 1912), 



Amomum, Linn. 

 Amomum angustifolium, Sonnerat ; FL Trop. Afr. VII. 



p. 308. 



III. — Lam. Encyl. t. 2, f. 1 (A. madagascariense). Hooker, 

 Kew Journ, Bot. iv, (1852) t. 5 {A, Afzelii), vi. (1854), p. 204 

 {A. DanieUii)] Bot. Mag. t. 4764 {A. Daniellii), t. 5250 (-4. 

 Clusii), ■ 



Vernac. names. — Barsalo (Sierra Leone, Daniell); Bassalo 

 (Gold Coastj Slave Coast, Fernando Po. Bot. ilag. t. 4764) ; 

 Longonze (Madagascar, Uanbury). — Bastard Meligetta {Pereiray 

 seq,, Fernando Po, Daniell, Herb. Kew). 



Found in West Africa, Fernando Po, Gaboon, Angola, E. Africa, 

 Mauritius and Madagascar. 



There appears to be no record from Nigeria; but " Cameroon 

 Cardamoms " (so-called) are believed to be obtained from this 

 species, said to yield an oil having a cinerole content suggestive 

 of *' Cajaput " oil and so far as aroma is concerned not com- 

 parable with '' Ceylon Cardamom " oil (Schimmel & Co. Semi- 

 Ann. Rep. April 1912, pp. 136-137 — Aframomitm angiistifolium \ 

 A. Daniellii). 



Plant 5-6 ft, high (Johnson, Herb. Kew); propagated 'by 

 seeds or division of the roots. 



Ref. — " The Madagascar Cardamom or Longouze," Hanbury, 



in The Pharm. Journ. [3] ii. 1872, p. 642, " Amomurn angusti- 



Jolium,'" Kew Bull. 1898, p. 288. "Cameroon Cardamoms," 



in Serai-Annual Report, Schimmel & Co., April. 1912, pp. 

 136-137. 



Amomum Granum-Paradisi, Linn, ; Fl. Trop. Afr. VH. p. 304. 



/W.— Rheede, Hort. Mai. xi. t. 6; Plenck, Ic. t. 112; Smith, 

 Exotic Bot. t. Ill (^4. grand{floru7n) ; Nees von Esenbeck, Plant. 

 Medic. Dusseld. t. 65; Bot, Mag. t. 4603; Lemaire, Le Jard. 

 El. ii, 1852, t. 178. 



Vernac. names. — Oburo (Lagos, Milieu) ; Oburo (Yoruba, 

 Milhon) ; Grains of Paradise, Alligator Pepper (Punch, No. 80, 

 1900, Herb, Kew). 



Lagos, Yoniba, Nupe, Aboh, Nun (Niger) river and Onitsha 

 in Nigeria and widely distributed in West Africa. 



Fruit edible, Lagos (Millen, Herb. Kew), 



The seeds together with those of A. Melegiieta (g.r.) at one 

 time came into commerce largely as a spice, although latterly of 

 less importance than when the " Grain Coast " in West Africa, 

 during the middle ages — 14th to 15th cent, (see Johnston, 

 Liberia i. pp. 5Q^ 57) — took its name from them as the most 

 important source. At the present time they are chiefly used 

 in veterinary medicine (Greenish, Mat. Med. (1909) p. 215). 



Oburo " is said to be a medicine for throat in Yoruba (Kew 

 Bull. 1891, p. 209). 



