Acorus gramineus - Uses, Benefits & Common Names
Status:
valid
Authors:
Aiton
Source:
wcs
Year:
1789
Citation Micro:
Hort. Kew. 1: 474 (1789)
WFO Identifier:
wfo-0000352676
Common Names
- Japanese sweet flag
- Japanese knotweed
- seersucker
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Find Suppliers & Request SamplesSynonyms
- Acorus gramineus japonica M.Hotta [unknown]
- Acorus gramineus macrospadiceus Yamam. [valid]
- Acorus gramineus pusillus (Siebold) Engl. [valid]
- Acorus humilis Salisb. [valid]
- Acorus macrospadiceus (Yamam.) F.N.Wei & Y.K.Li [valid]
- Acorus pusillus Siebold [valid]
- Acorus xiangyeus Z.Y.Zhu [valid]
- Acorus gramineus japonicus M.Hotta [valid]
Description
Acorus gramineus, commonly known as sweet flag or calamus, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Acoraceae. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 0.6 m (2 ft) tall, with yellowish-brown or olive-green, sword-shaped leaves 60–180 cm (24–71 in) long and 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) broad. The flowers are densely packed on an inflorescence of green or brown bracts, each flower small and greenish-white. The fruit is an achene.
Uses & Benefits
Acorus gramineus, commonly known as sweet flag or calamus, is a tall perennial wetland monocot of the Acoraceae family, in the genus Acorus. Calamus is also the Latin name for the plant. Sweet flag is native to temperate parts of Eurasia and northern Africa. It has been introduced in other parts of the world. The plant grows 25–100 cm (10–40 in) tall, with sword-like, radical leaves 8–30 cm (3–12 in) long and 0.8–3 cm (0.3–1 in) broad. The inconspicuous flowers are produced in dense compound umbels. The fruits are oval, dry, and compressed seeds.
Flower, Seeds and Seedlings
The flower of Acorus gramineus is a small, yellowish-green spadix surrounded by a white spathe. The seed is a small, black, triangular-shaped nutlet. The seedlings are small, with a single, long, narrow leaf.
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Find Suppliers & Request SamplesCultivation and Propagation
Acorus gramineus is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 0.6 m (2 ft) tall, with grained or striated, sword-shaped leaves 20–60 cm (8–24 in) long and 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) broad. The flowers are borne on a compound umbel of many small umbels, each 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) across with 15–20-flowers; the tepals are 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long, yellow, greenish-yellow, or brownish-yellow, with dense purple or brown spots, and the stamens 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long. Individual flowers are bisexual, with both male and female components on the same flower. The fruit is a globose, shiny brown achene 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) diameter, borne in the center of each umbel.
Where to Find Acorus gramineus
Acorus gramineus, commonly called sweet flag or calamus root, is an ornamental, aromatic, rhizomatous perennial that typically grows to 2-3' tall and as wide. It is native to marshes, streams, and ponds from the Himalayas to Japan.
Acorus gramineus FAQ
What is an Acorus gramineus?
Acorus gramineus, also known as sweet flag or sweetgrass, is a plant of the family Acoraceae, genus Acorus. The plant is found in the wetlands of Eurasia, and has been introduced to the wetlands of North America.
What is in the Acorus gramineus plant?
Sweet flag contains asaryl alcohol, calamenene, camphene, delta-3-carene, geranial, geranyl acetate, hexenal, hexenyl acetate, isobornyl acetate, myrcene, palmitone, and terpinen-4-ol.
How can I use Acorus gramineus?
Acorus gramineus has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, and as a diuretic, expectorant, and stimulant. It is also used as an incense and as a flavoring agent in food and drink.
Species in the Acorus genus
Species in the Acoraceae family
References
William Aiton (1731-1793): Based on occurrence of standard abbreviation 'Aiton' in the authors string.
POWO record for urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:84019-1: Based on the WCVP December 2022 data release.