CALAMUS
Product No. P03013
Also known as Sweet Flag, Sweet Sedge, Sweet Root, Shuichangpu (Chinese), Calamus aromaticus, and Acorus calamus L.
Calamus can be found growing wild in temperate and subtropical regions, in very moist areas such as meadows with pools, and near water sources, but it is also cultivated throughout India, and grows up to an altitude of about 3700m in the Himalayas.
It is a perennial aromatic herb which grows from 17 inches to 2.5 feet in height, and is pale to dark brown in colour. Calamus has creeping rhizomes (which are pale fawn-coloured and wrinkled), and no main stem. The leaves grow from the rootstock, as does the flowering stalk, which produces 3-inch long, cylindrical and yellowish green flowers. The leaves of the plant are sword shaped, long and slender. Calamus tastes aromatic, pungent and bitter, and the odour is sweet and aromatic.
The plant is collected from August to October, and its main constituents are asarone and its â-isomer. The rhizomes, roots, and leaves yield a volatile oil.
Calamus is a;
Nauseant
Stomachic
Antispasmodic
Anthelmentic
Stimulant
Expectorant
Carminative
Nervine sedative
Calamus is a traditional medicinal herb used to treat various ailments since ancient times - historical references indicate that Alexander the Great used its medicinal properties many years ago. Native Americans also used it, and were known to chew the root while running long distances to increase endurance and stamina. They also found it helpful for increasing mental focus, and treating stomach problems, particularly acidity.
In China, Calamus root is considered to have anti-arrhythmic, hypotensive, vasodilatory and anti-bacterial properties, and it is used in Chinese medicine, as well as in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, to treat a variety of problems.
The rhizome is used today in the treatment of diseases such as bronchial catarrh, intermittent fevers, glandular and abdominal tumours, chronic diarrhoea and dysentery, as well as epilepsy and various mental problems. It is also used for kidney and liver problems, rheumatism and eczema, and as an insecticide for lice, bedbugs, worms etc. It can be added to the bath to induce a state of tranquillity.
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