Common Name: Ajmud

General Information

Ajmud is an erect, usually much branched annual plant growing 20 - 100cm tall.
The plant is widely cultivated, especially in India but also to a lesser degree in much of southeast Asia, for its seed which is used in curries[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Original habitat is unknown, it probably arose in India through cultivation.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation, but adventive on forest margins and in ruderal areas as an escape from cultivation[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is cultivated in southeast Asia at elevations up to 750 metres[].
The plant seems to prefer not too heavy, fertile, calcareous soils[].

Edible Uses

Seed - used in curries[]. One of the lesser-known ingredients of curries, they are also used in pickles, chutneys and preserves[].. A very strong spice, with a characteristic smell similar to parsley[]. The fruits are very aromatic, both odour and taste are reminiscent of celery; the taste is at first slightly bitter, becoming strongly aromatic and producing a slight numbness of the tongue[]. In Bengali cuisine the seeds are used whole, quickly fried in very hot oil until they crackle[].

Leaves - raw or cooked, They are occasionally used as a substitute for parsley when flavouring various dishes[, ]. The leaves are also eaten raw or steamed with rice[, ].

The leaves are used to make a kind of tea[].

Medicinal

The fruits are a reputed medicine in Indian medicine where they are used as a cardiotonic, carminative, emmenagogue and stimulant[, ]. They are used in the treatment of dyspepsia, bronchitis and asthma[].

The fruits yield up to 2.5% essential oil, up to 4.5% fixed oil, and up to 0.1% of a crystalline ketonic compound[]. This latter has powerful antispasmodic activity, it lowers blood pressure by direct action on the blood vessels[].
The essential oil can be obtained by steam distillation. It is greenish-yellow and its main components are limonene 35.1%, 'ALFA'-terpinene 19.4%, piperitone 13.6%, terpineol 5.7%, linalool 4.7%, and thymol 1.7%. The essential oil also lowers blood pressure and has diuretic properties[].
The fruit residue after essential-oil extraction has cardiotonic properties[].

Other Uses

Extracts, or powders, from various parts of the plant are very effective against insect pests of stored grains such as Callosobruchus chinensis, Sitophilus oryzae and Trogoderma granarium; they are also used against housefly (Musca domestica)[].

Propagation

Seed -

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