English : Zerumbet/Zedoary/Long Zedoary/Setwall

Urdu : Zarabad/Kapur-kachri

Telugu : Kachoeramu/Kichili gaddalu

Description :

Zerabad or Zedory is the rhizome of the plant. It is long in size when fresh and usually cut into transverse slices and dried. The slices are greyish or yellowish and resemble those of ginger but are less strong.The odour and taste resemble those of ginger but are less strong.

The plant is upto 1 m high arising from a large tuberous aromatic rootstock which are biennial , pale – yellow from with in. Leaves oblong- lanceolate , spike variable. Fruits ovoid ,red and seeds oblong, globular.

Action and Uses:

It is blood-purifer, detergent ,stomachic , expectorant and aromatic. It is also deobstruent , exhilarent, intestinal disinfectant, astrigent and diuretic.

It is beneficially used in flatulent abdomen , dyspepsia and anorexia; cold, cough and fever ; headache and migraine, palpitation and psychological unrest, and chronic diarrhoeas including amoebiasis. It is also used as corrective of purgatives, and in leucorrhoea and gonorrhoea. It is used as hair tonic.

Ibn Sina’ s view:

It is  carminative and flattening. It removes the smell of wine, garlic, and  onion. It is exhilarent and good for heart. It checks vomiting and useful in uterine gases.