Wurfbainia villosa, also known by its basionym Amomum villosum,[2] (Chinese: 砂仁; pinyin: shārén) is a plant in the ginger family which is grown as a cardamom-like spice throughout Southeast Asia and South China.

It blooms in March and April, the colour, translucency and waxy lustre of the flowers being likened traditionally to those of white jade.

[5][4] From as early as the time of the Tang dynasty, many ancient books, including, notably, the Compendium of Materia Medica, have been unanimous in describing the taste of W. villosa as “acrid, fresh, and slightly bitter”.

Due to the demand for seeds and ripe fruits, and to curb slash-and-burn activities in forests by local populations, cultivation of W. villosa and coplantings with rubber trees has been encouraged by the governments of Yunnan and Guangdong, China.

[6] However, the extensive cultivation of W. villosa in forests has resulted in the reduction of species diversity in the rainforests of Southwest China.