Practical
Plants

Trachyspermum ammi

an annual member of the Trachyspermum genus in the family Umbelliferae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.6 m
Spread
0.4 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The pungently aromatic fruits are about 2cm long[1]. They are used as a flavouring in savoury dishes, including curries, pulses, breads and pastry snacks[1].

Product or use
Condiment

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed, and especially the essential oil in the seed, is strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, bitter, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, expectorant and tonic[1]. It is used internally in the treatment of colds, coughs, influenza, asthma, diarrhoea, cholera, colic, indigestion, wind, oedema, arthritis and rheumatism[1][2]. The seed is harvested when fully ripe and either distilled for the essential oil or dried for later use[1]. The seed contains about 4 - 6% essential oil, of which 45 - 55% is the strongly antiseptic essential oil 'thymol'[2]. The essential oil is also added to cough medicines[1]. The root is carminative and diuretic[2].

Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Aromatic
Product or use
Bitter
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seeds are rich in essential oil, 30 - 35% of which is thymol[2], which is more commonly found in Thymus species[1]. The essential oil is added to epoxy derivatives[1].

Product or use
Essential

Environment

Range
Europe to eastern Asia in the Himalayas.
Habitat
Damp ground[1].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - we have no information for this species, but suggest that you try sowing the seed in situ in April. If this is not successful, then an earlier sowing in the greenhouse in March, planting out after the last expected frosts might be better[K]. 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[K].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a moist soil in a sunny position[1]. This species is not frost tolerant[1], but it might be possible to grow it outdoors in Britain as a spring sown annual[K]. The plant is extensively cultivated as a spice in S. W. Asia.

References

  1. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11

  2. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

Edit this page