ZINGIBERACE^ 103
the B.P. calls
- ovoid'; they vary in length from £ in. to | in. (the
latter 1 in 10), and have a smooth pericarp of a cream colour, due to
the use of bleaching agents. Their quality is judged by their weight.
Sometimes the seeds are shrivelled (unripe), so that the fruit is husky.
This is not so frequent in the longs, which are simply thinner than the
rounds, and are not so smooth on the surface, nor so pale, as a rule.
The B.P. description, 'longitudinally striated,' might exclude most of
the rounds, as they look smooth until closely examined.
" Malabars.—These are smaller than Mysores, and there is a greater
proportion of seed to pericarp in them. They are fat pods, with a pointed
apex. Generally pale brown or pink and longitudinally striated. Barely
more than £ in. long. They have a full flavour.
" Mangalores.—These are almost globular in shape and not unlike
Malabars. All three are washed or bleached before exportation.
" Seeds.—A goodly proportion of cardamoms come straight into the
market freed from their pericarps. The B.P. excludes these because
they are supposed to lose flavour on keeping. Wholesalers and large
manufacturers use them when fresh ; fine brown seed is as strong as
the kind just freed from the pericarps. Grey seeds are inferior."
It is fairly certain that the plant Elettaria cardamomum produces
most of the ordinary cardamoms, whilst the u Ceylon wilds" are the
product of a variety of this plant, known as variety /3. The majority
of the cardamoms of commerce are imported from Ceylon, and may be
described as Ceylon-Malabars or Ceylon-Mysores, according as they fit
in with the above descriptions. The Ceylon wilds are mostly consumed
in the manufacture of a certain cake made in South Germany, and are
not an ordinary article of commerce. Some confusion exists as to the
botanical characters of some of these seeds, and more so as to the es-
sential oils they yield. The oil is usually distilled from Ceylon seeds,
which yield from (^3) to 6 per cent, of oil. According to Schimmel, the
oil derived entirely from Malabar cardamoms (Elettaria cardamomum)
is obtained to the extent of from 4 to 8 per cent, of the seeds used. Its
specific gravity was '943 and its optical rotation + 34° 52'. It dissolved
in 4 parts of 70 per cent, alcohol. It was found to require 132 per
cent, of potash for saponification, thus indicating a very high ester con-
tent. Haensel gives the specific gravity as 0933 and the optical rota-
tion as + 26°. Samples of oil distilled from both Malabar and Mysore
(Ceylon) seeds, obtained from authentic sources by the author, showed
that there was practically no difference between the two oils, although
Schimmel states that Ceylon cardamom oil has a specific gravity of
•895 to 910 and a rotation of + 12° to + 13°. It is probable that the
oil from the so-called Ceylon wild cardamoms is here meant.
The Ceylon-Malabar seeds distilled by the author yielded 13 per
cent, of oil, and the Ceylon-Mysores 26 per cent. Both were bright
yellow liquids, whose odours were scarcely distinguishable. The specific
gravities and optical rotations were as follows :—
Oil of Malabar Cardamoms
Oil of Mysore Cardamoms
Specific Gravity
at 15-5°.
0-9418
0-9418
Optical Rotation
at 16°
(100 mm. Tube).