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Common Name:

General Information

Trachyspermum ammi is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe to eastern Asia in the Himalayas.

Habitat

Damp ground[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a moist soil in a sunny position[].
This species is not frost tolerant[], but it might be possible to grow it outdoors in Britain as a spring sown annual[].
The plant is extensively cultivated as a spice in S. W. Asia.

Edible Uses

The pungently aromatic fruits are about 2cm long[]. They are used as a flavouring in savoury dishes, including curries, pulses, breads and pastry snacks[].

Medicinal

The seed, and especially the essential oil in the seed, is strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, bitter, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, expectorant and tonic[]. It is used internally in the treatment of colds, coughs, influenza, asthma, diarrhoea, cholera, colic, indigestion, wind, oedema, arthritis and rheumatism[, ]. The seed is harvested when fully ripe and either distilled for the essential oil or dried for later use[].
The seed contains about 4 - 6% essential oil, of which 45 - 55% is the strongly antiseptic essential oil 'thymol'[]. The essential oil is also added to cough medicines[].
The root is carminative and diuretic[].

Other Uses

The seeds are rich in essential oil, 30 - 35% of which is thymol[], which is more commonly found in Thymus species[]. The essential oil is added to epoxy derivatives[]. It is used in perfumes[].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species, but suggest that you try sowing the seed in situ in mid spring. If this is not successful, then an earlier sowing in the greenhouse in early spring, planting out after the last expected frosts might be better[]. It is quite possible that this species will not like to be transplanted, so either sow 4 - 5 seeds per pot, or sow in a tray and transplant to individual pots as soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle[].