Small trees; The young branches are slender and long. The leaves are nearly leathery,
Oval or elliptical lanceolate, apex short acuminate, base broadly cuneate or nearly circular, both surfaces hairless; 8-10 pairs of lateral veins; The petiole is 7-10 millimeters long. The male inflorescence is 1-3 centimeters long, hairless, with 3 to 20 flowers, 1-2 sparse, and the small flowers are 4-5 millimeters long; Perianth lobes 3-4, triangular ovate, densely covered with grayish brown tomentose on the outside; Anthers 9-12, linear, approximately half the length of the stamen column; The female inflorescence is longer than the male inflorescence; The main stem is sturdy and has 1-2 flowers; The flower is 6 millimeters long and approximately 4 millimeters in diameter; Perianth lobes 3, outside densely covered with Microvillus; Pedicels longer than female flowers; The small bracts are borne at the base of the perianth, and after shedding, the remaining scars are usually circular; Ovary oval, densely covered with rust colored tomentose on the outside, style extremely short, stigma apex 2-lobed. Fruit usually solitary, shortly stipitate, sometimes with residual Tepal; Aril red, tearing to base; Seed ovoid; Cotyledons short, curly, base commissure
Originated in Indonesia, Malaysia, West Indies, and Brazil. There are introduced and cultivated varieties in provinces such as Guangdong and Yunnan in China.
Harvesting and processing: Harvest mature fruits twice a year in summer and autumn, cut the peel, peel off the Aril, chisel the shell shaped seed coat, soak the seeds in lime milk for one day, and then dry them at low temperature. It is also processed and ground into powder. Aril cardamom is also used as Spice.
Use part: It is the dried seed kernel and Aril of Myristica fragrans.