Elwendia persica
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64405fbc01297470078798 |
| Scientific name | Elwendia persica |
| Authority | (Boiss.) Pimenov & Kljuykov |
| First published in | Pl. Syst. Evol. 299: 1004 (2013) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Elwendia persica, the wild black cumin of western and central Asia, has long been used as a carminative and digestive remedy. In Iranian traditional medicine, seeds are commonly prepared as a mild infusion or decoction to relieve flatulence, stomach cramps, and nausea; leaves and aerial parts are occasionally taken for respiratory complaints such as cough and cold (Emami et al., 2012). Among the Pashtun of eastern Afghanistan, infusions of the seed are drunk for dyspepsia and infant colic (Miller and Morris, 2004). In northern India’s Kashmir Valley and Ladakh, seed infusions or decoctions are used to aid digestion and reduce gas, while the spice is also employed in household foods (Uniyal and Shiva, 2005).
Practical recipe: mild seed infusion for gas and mild dyspepsia. Measure about 1–2 g of crushed seeds into a small cup (≈150 ml) of near‑boiling water, cover, and steep 10–15 minutes. Strain and sip 1–2 cups per day, preferably after meals. Safety note: use modest amounts; excessive intake may irritate the stomach. Avoid in pregnancy and when nursing unless advised by a clinician.
Active constituents: The fruit (commonly called seed) yields an essential oil rich in γ‑terpinene, p‑cymene, limonene, and β‑pinene, which are consistent with carminative and antispasmodic activity (Baser et al., 1999). The fruit also contains quercetin‑3‑O‑glucoside and related flavonoids, and γ‑tocopherol (Khalil et al., 2014).
Modern relevance: Contemporary studies are revisiting the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the essential oil, and the dried seed spice is widely available in markets across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India for culinary and medicinal use.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Dried seed spice; seed-derived essential oil (flavor-grade).
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Seeds are used as a culinary spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, added whole or ground to spice blends, chutneys, pickles, meat rubs, and savory dishes. The seed and its essential oil function as a flavoring in beverages and condiments, contributing warm, caraway–cumin-like aroma notes. No edible seed oil is reported; the essential oil is not documented as a food frying medium.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Essential oil from the seeds is used in the flavor and fragrance industries as a natural flavoring agent and fragrance component, valued for its high content of γ-terpinene and cuminaldehyde. It appears as a component in flavor blends, functional flavors, and some fragrance compositions; no specific cosmetic product categories are documented. Resins/gums, fiber, timber, colorants/tanning, wood and fiber, adhesives/coatings, biofuels/bioplastics, fermentation feedstocks, scientific/model-organism use, properties relevant to use, standards and regulation, and sustainability and sourcing are not reported.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Pimpinella cyminosma | Koso-Pol. | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou , n.s., 28: 180 (1914 publ. 1915) |
| Sium cyminosma | Basiner | Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 2: 204 (1844) |
| Bunium persicum | B.Fedtsch. | Rastitel'n. Turkestana : 612 (1915) |
| Carum heterophyllum | Regel & Schmalh. | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 5: 586 (1877) |
| Carum persicum | Boiss. | Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. , sér. 3, 1: 138 (1844) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | shahi jira |
| English | black-caraway |
| Spanish | semilla negra |
| Spanish | comino negro |
| Spanish | alcaravea negra |
| Bengali | শাহী জিরা |
| Greek | Βούνιον το περσικόν |
| Persian | بونیوم پرسیکوم |
| Gujarati | શાહજીરું |
| Macedonian | црн ким |
| Polish | kminek czarny |
| Sinhala | කළුදුරු |
| Swedish | jordkastanj |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Middle Asia
- Kirgizstan
- Tadzhikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
-
Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Iran
-
Middle Asia
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Pakistan
- West Himalaya
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Indian Subcontinent
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001335919 |
| Tropicos | 100473681 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77128917-1 |
| IPNI | 77128917-1 |
| GBIF | 8187284 |
| Wikipedia | Elwendia_persica |
| UNII | 7NC0KX3I8G |
| Open Tree Of Life | 562448 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 377494 |
| iNaturalist | 995030 |
| Freebase | /m/06hmz2 |
| EOL | 51502896 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Hydrocarbons / Unsaturated hydrocarbons / Branched unsaturated hydrocarbons | |||||
| Gamma-Terpinene | 7461 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Acyclic monoterpenoids | |||||
| 3,7-Dimethylocta-2,6-Dienal | 8843 | Click to see | 152.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Citronellol | 8842 | Click to see | 156.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Myrcene | 31253 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Neral | 643779 | Click to see | 152.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Aromatic monoterpenoids | |||||
| 4-Isopropylbenzyl alcohol | 325 | Click to see CC(C)C1=CC=C(C=C1)CO | 150.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Cuminaldehyde | 326 | Click to see CC(C)C1=CC=C(C=C1)C=O | 148.20 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| P-Cymene | 7463 | Click to see | 134.22 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Thymol | 6989 | Click to see | 150.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Bicyclic monoterpenoids | |||||
| (+-)-alpha-Pinene | 6654 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Beta-Pinene | 14896 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Camphor | 2537 | Click to see | 152.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Myrtenal | 61130 | Click to see | 150.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Sabinene | 18818 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Menthane monoterpenoids | |||||
| 4-Terpineol, (+/-)- | 11230 | Click to see CC1=CCC(CC1)(C(C)C)O | 154.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| alpha-PHELLANDRENE | 7460 | Click to see CC1=CCC(C=C1)C(C)C | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Alpha-Terpinene | 7462 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Beta-Phellandrene | 11142 | Click to see CC(C)C1CCC(=C)C=C1 | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Limonene, (+/-)- | 22311 | Click to see CC1=CCC(CC1)C(=C)C | 136.23 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| p-Menth-3-en-7-al | 15601950 | Click to see | 152.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Perilla alcohol | 369312 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC(=CC1)CO | 152.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Perillyl alcohol | 10819 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC(=CC1)CO | 152.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| Terpinolene | 11463 | Click to see | 136.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (+)-Gamma-cadinene | 6432404 | Click to see CC1=CC2C(CC1)C(=C)CCC2C(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| 4,12,12-Trimethyl-9-methylene-5-oxatricyclo(8.2.0.04,6)dodecane | 14350 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| beta-Farnesene, (6Z)- | 5317319 | Click to see CC(=CCCC(=CCCC(=C)C=C)C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Caryophyllene | 5281515 | Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C2CC(C2CC1)(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| Caryophyllene oxide | 1742210 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700786 |
| gamma-Cadinene | 15094 | Click to see CC1=CC2C(CC1)C(=C)CCC2C(C)C | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organic oxides | |||||
| Safranal | 61041 | Click to see CC1=C(C(CC=C1)(C)C)C=O | 150.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630023 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |