| Latin Names |
English Names |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Names |
Acorus calamus
Linn. (Araceae)
|
Sweet Flag, Calamus, Sweet Root |
Vacha, Sadgrantha, Ugragandha, Vayambur |
Bach |
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 Habitat
It is found growing wild and is also cultivated
throughout India, ascending to an altitude of 2,200m in the
Himalayas.
Morphology Description (Habit)
A.calamus is a semi-aquatic, perennial, aromatic
herb with creeping rhizomes. The rhizome is horizontal,
jointed, somewhat vertically compressed and spongy within. It is pale to dark brown in
colour; the leaves are grass-like or sword shaped, long and
slesnder; flowers |
are small, yellow-green and in a spadix.
Principal Constituents
The important constituents of Indian calamus oil are asarone
and its ß-isomer. The dried rhizomes constitute the drug
Calamus of commerce. The rhizomes, roots and leaves yield a
light brown to brownish yellow volatile oil known as Calamus
oil.
Indications
In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, the rhizomes are
considered to possess anti-spasmodic, carminative and
anthelmintic properties, and, are used for the treatment of
a host of diseases such as epilepsy and other mental
ailments, chronic diarrhoea, dysentery, bronchial catarrh,
intermittent fevers, glandular and abdominal tumours. They
are also used to treat kidney and liver troubles, rheumatism
and eczema.
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