Acorus calamus (Sweet Flag) Plant
[50mm pot]

Price: AU$9.90 In Stock: 2 Available
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Acorus calamus is perennial plant that grows to a height of 1m with a spread of 0.5m. Indigenous to the northern hemisphere, it prefers lake margins, swampy ditches, or marshes in a protected position. It is frost resistant, but drought tender. Propagation is by division in autumn or spring. Acorus calamus need to be kept moist to wet at all times.

The rhizome is horizontal, creeping, cylindrical, branched and up to 2m long, with a spicy aroma. The stem is erect, unbranched and flowering with yellowish green erect leaves. The flowers are greenish yellow, with a keeled stalk and on a densely crowded spike; the fruit are greenish berries.

Acorus calamus has many traditional uses such as an ingredient in Chinese and Indian herbal traditions due to its laxative and diuretic properties. The roots and leaves have antioxidant, antimicrobial and insecticidal activities.

Acorus calamus derives most of its psychoactive and medicinal action from its active component beta-asarone, which makes up a large percentage of the essential oil produced from the root of asian and indian strain. Small amounts of eugenol, safrole and bitter principles are also present. The root of the american variety is generally low in beta-asarone.

Many countries, including Australia, prohibits the use of calamus, calamus oil or asarone in food and aromatherapy preparations due to it being suspected of having carcinogenic properties. Safrol, which is only present in small quantities in the oil is a presumed carcinogen and should not be consumed in large quantities.

We strongly recommended to select Express Post shipping for all plant orders to minimise the transit time.
 
Acorus calamus (Sweet Flag) Plant
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