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Acorus calamus
| Common name: |
Sweet Flag |
Family: |
Araceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
200 |
| Synonyms: |
|
| Known Hazards: |
The fresh root can be poisonous[7].
When using the plant medicinally, the isolated essential oil should not be used[165]. The essential oil in the roots of some populations of this plant contains the compound asarone. This has tranquillising and antibiotic activity, but is also potentially toxic and carcinogenic[218, 238]. It seems that these compounds are found in the triploid form of the species (found in Asia) whilst the diploid form (found in N. America and Siberia) is free of the compounds[218, 238]. However, the root (but not the isolated
essential oil) has been used in India for thousands of years without reports of cancer which suggests that using the whole herb is completely safe, though more research is needed[254]. |
| Range: |
Europe, Asia and N. America. Naturalized in Britain[17]. |
| Habitat: |
Found in moist soils and shallow water in ditches, marshes, river edges and ponds[1, 100, 187, 244]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
4 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 4 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| A. americanus[B,C,CAL,P]
A. calamus auct. non[P]
A. calamus var. americanus[B,P]
A. calmus[]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Acore Vrai [E], Acoro Aromatico [E], Acorus [E], Agri Turki [E], Azakegeri [E], Bach [E], Calamo Aromatico [E], Calamus [P,H,B,E,S], Calmus [E], Calomo Aromatico [E], Ch'Ang P'U Chiu [E], Cinnamon Sedge [H], Djerango [E], Doringo [E], Ganoeak [E], Gladdon [H], Jariangau [E], Jerangau [E], Jeringau [E], Kaliraga [E], Kalmoes [E,D], Kalmos [E], Kalmus [E], Myrtle Grass [H], Myrtle Sedge [H], Sarango [E], Shui Ch'Ang Pu [E], Sweet Cane [H], Sweet Flag [S,E], Sweet Flagg [H], Sweet Myrtle [H], Sweet
Root [H], Sweet Rush [H], Sweet Sedge [H], Sweet-flag [L], Sweetflag [B,P], Vacha [E], Vaj [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
calamus = reed;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Arales. Arum family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Arabic; Brazil; Britain; China; Denmark; Egypt; France; Germany(Bavaria); Hungary; India; India(Santal); Iran; Italy; Java; Malaysia; Nepal; Netherlands; New Guinea; Sanscrit; Spain; Sumatra; Sweden; Turkey; Us; Us(Amerindian); Us(Appalachia); Us(Blackfoo
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 1m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs).
We rate it 4/5 for edibility and
4/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires wet soil and can grow in water.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Pond, Bog Garden.Edible Uses
Condiment; Leaves; Root; Stem.
The rhizome is candied and made into a sweetmeat[2, 4, 13, 55, 62, 115,
183]. It can be peeled and washed to remove the bitterness and then eaten raw
like a fruit[106, 179]. It makes a palatable vegetable when roasted[192] and
can also be used as a flavouring[61]. Rich in starch, the root contains
about 1% of an essential oil that is used as a food flavouring[1, 13, 57].
The root also contains a bitter glycoside[179]. Some caution is advised, see
the notes above on toxicity.
The dried and powdered rhizome has a spicy flavour and is used as a
substitute for ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg[4, 55, 142, 177, 183]. A pinch of
the powdered rhizome is used as a flovouring in tea[272].
The young and tender inflorescence is often eaten by children for its
sweetness[4].
Young leaves - cooked[55]. The fresh leaves contain 0.078% oxalic acid[240].
The leaves can be used to flavour custards in the same way as vanilla
pods[244].
The inner portion of young stems is eaten raw[62]. It makes a very palatable
salad[183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Abortifacient; Anodyne; Aphrodisiac; Aromatic; Carminative; Diaphoretic; Emmenagogue; Febrifuge; Hallucinogenic; Homeopathy; Odontalgic; Sedative; Stimulant; Stomachic; Tonic; Vermifuge.
Sweet flag has a very long history of medicinal use in many herbal
traditions. It is widely employed in modern herbal medicine as an aromatic
stimulant and mild tonic[4]. In Ayurveda it is highly valued as a rejuvenator
for the brain and nervous system and as a remedy for digestive
disorders[254]. However, some care should be taken in its use since some
forms of the plant might be carcinogenic - see the notes above on toxicity
for more information.
The root is anodyne, aphrodisiac, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic,
emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, hallucinogenic, hypotensive, sedative,
stimulant, stomachic, mildly tonic and vermifuge[4, 7, 9, 21, 147, 165, 213,
240, 279]. It is used internally in the treatment of digestive complaints,
bronchitis, sinusitis etc[238]. It is said to have wonderfully tonic powers
of stimulating and normalizing the appetite. In small doses it reduces
stomach acidity whilst larger doses increase stomach secretions[254] and it
is, therefore, recommended in the treatment of anorexia nervosa[244]. However
if the dose is too large it will cause nausea and vomiting[K]. Sweet flag is
also used externally to treat skin eruptions, rheumatic pains and
neuralgia[238]. An infusion of the root can bring about an abortion[213]
whilst chewing the root alleviates toothache[213]. It is a folk remedy for
arthritis, cancer, convulsions, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, epilepsy etc. Chewing
the root is said to kill the taste for tobacco[218]. Roots 2 - 3 years old
are used since older roots tend to become tough and hollow[4]. They are
harvested in late autumn or early spring and are dried for later use[4]. The
dry root loses 70% of its weight, but has an improved smell and taste[244].
It does, however, deteriorate if stored for too long[244].
Caution is advised on the use of this root, especially in the form of the
distilled essential oil, since large doses can cause mild
hallucinations[192]. See also the notes above on toxicity.
A homeopathic remedy is made from the roots[9]. It is used in the treatment
of flatulence, dyspepsia, anorexia and disorders of the gall bladder[9]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Basketry; Incense; Insecticide; Repellent; Strewing; Thatching; Weaving.
The leaves are used in basket making or woven into mats[169]. They have
also been used as a thatch for roofs[4].
An essential oil from the rhizome is used in perfumery and as a food
flavouring[1, 13, 57]. The oil is contained mainly in the outer skin of the
root[245], it has a fragrance reminiscent of patchouli oil[192]. The fresh
roots yield about 1.5 - 3.5% essential oil, dried roots about 0.8%[4, 240].
Some plants from Japan have yielded 5% essential oil[4]. The essential oil is
also an insect repellent and insecticide[218, 272]. It is effective against
houseflies[240]. When added to rice being stored in granaries it has
significantly reduced loss caused by insect damage because the oil in the
root has sterilized the male rice weevils[244].
An essential oil obtained from the leaves is used in perfumery and for
making aromatic vinegars[245].
The leaves and the root have a refreshing scent of cinnamon[245]. All parts
of plant can be dried and used to repel insects or to scent linen
cupboards[8, 14, 61]. They can also be burnt as an incense[14], whilst the
whole plant was formerly used as a strewing herb[4, 14, 115, 238]. The
growing plant is said to repel mosquitoes[20, 201].
Cultivation details
Prefers growing in shallow water or in a very moist loamy soil[200].
Requires a sunny position[200]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 to 7.5.
Plants are hardy to about -25°c[187].
The sweet flag has a long history of use as a medicinal and culinary plant.
It has been cultivated for this purpose but was more commonly allowed to
naturalize and was then harvested from the wild.
The plant seldom flowers or sets seed in Britain and never does so unless it
is growing in water[4]. It can spread quite freely at the roots however and
soon becomes established.
Propagation
Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stand the pot
in about 3cm of water. Pot up young seedlings as soon as they are large
enough to handle, keep them wet by standing the pots in shallow water and
overwinter for the first year in a greenhouse or cold frame. Seed is rarely
produced in Britain[4, 17].
Division in spring just before growth starts[1]. Very easy, it can be
carried out successfully at any time in the growing season and can be planted
direct into its permanent positions[K].
Scent
-
Leaves: Crushed
- A refreshing scent of cinnamon.
-
Root: Crushed
- The root has a refreshing scent of cinnamon.
Cultivars
- ''
- No entries have been made for this species as yet.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
PFAF Web Pages
This plant is mentioned in the following web pages
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [C] Taxon data.
from the CalFlora database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Acorus americanus (a possible synonym).
References for acorus calamus (a possible synonym).
References for the family Araceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[8] Ceres. Free for All. Thorsons Publishers 1977 ISBN 0-7225-0445-4
Edible wild plants in Britain. Small booklet, nothing special.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[55] Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973
Interesting reading.
[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.
[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.
[106] Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975 ISBN 0-87857-090-x
Interesting reading but short on detail.
[115] Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.
Written about a hundred years ago, but still a very good guide to the useful plants of Britain.
[142] Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press 1975 ISBN 0-12-136450-x
Readable but not very comprehensive.
[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
[192] Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants Studio Vista 1979 ISBN 0-289-70864-8
A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
Readers Comments
Acorus calamus
david Nicholls
(davidni@xtra.co.nz)
Mon Mar 5 10:14:17 2001
I tried using the root to quit smoking after also reading in "A modern Herbal" that it is used when Peruvian Bark fails, Peruvian bark containing quinine, the active ingredient in the best quit smoking aid (for me personally), Nicobrevin. Maybe many things for fever have potential as quit smoking aids.
I'm sure it did eliminate the desire for a smoke, didn't have one for 2 hours, one every 15 mins being my usual, had about 4mm-6mm sqaure of root , then also tried about the same of rhizome, taste the same(Potters say the rhiozme is often called the root so I tried both) same effect (obviously this is only vaugely scientific).
After finding I had to keep taking it every few hours I decided I was not prepared to take such large amounts for fear of hallucinations or other risks, maybe worth researhing, I hope & think no one could patent the idea with it's folk history, so pharmaceutical corporations probably wouldn't bother with it.
Note: I can't recommend it to anyone as safe.
Details of Growing Condition: One seems to be growing well at 200 meters facing sea, in temperate climate, exposed to wind , full sun, in boggy soil with competition from watercress
but only there a few months.
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