Amomum pseudo-foetens (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Amomum pseudo-foetens Valeton

Family: Zingiberaceae

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: tepus sigung (Sundanese).

Distribution

Indonesia (Java).

Uses

The fruits are edible, especially the white, sweet aril around the seeds.

Observations

• Robust perennial herb, up to 2.5 m tall, with stout branched rhizomes.
• Leaves lanceolate, up to 50-68 cm × 12-15 cm.
• Fruiting heads broadly ellipsoid, 8 cm diameter, dense, surrounded by persistent bracts; fruit berry-like, obovoid, ca. 2 cm in diameter, crowned by calyx remnants, with 12 longitudinal ribs.
• Seeds about 6 mm long, yellow, with white aril, aromatic.

In primary forests, up to 1400 m altitude, quite rare.

Selected sources

• Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink, R.C., 1963 1968. Flora of Java. 3 Volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands.

• Heyne, K., 1927. De nuttige planten van Nederlandsch Indië [The useful plants of the Dutch East Indies]. 2nd ed. 3 Volumes. Departement van Landbouw, Nijverheid en Handel in Nederlandsch Indië. 1953 pp.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen