472 
ACORUS CALAMUS. 
SWEET FLAG,. Or ACORUS 
SYNONYMA. Calamus aromaticus. Pharm. Lond. & Edink 
« 
Acorus verus, five Calamus aromaticus omcinarum. Baub. P'm. 
34 
Park. Theat.fi. 140. Rail Hi/I. p. 13 13. Synofi. p. 4 
1 »7 
Acorus verus, oilicinis falso Calamus. Gerard Emac.fi. 62. Acor 
us. 
\ 
Hall. Stirfi. Helv. n. 13 0.7. Acorus Calamus. Hudfon Flor. Ang* 
TVitherif2g.Bot.Arr.fi. 357. Relhan.Flor.Cant.fi. 140.. 
, 147. 
Thach xuog bo 
Flor. Cochin, fi.. 208. 
t?/tf/r Hexandria. Or^/. Monogynia. Z//z. 6fc#. Plant, 434. 
jE^ &?»; C/j. 
cylindricus, tectus flofculis. 
6-petalas r 
nudae. Stylus nullus. Gaps. 3-locularis. 
Sfi. Ch. 
A. fcapi mucrone longiilimo foliac 
eo 
5 * 
Hori. Kew 
© 
THE root is perennial, horizontal, crooked, pointed, fibrous, fome— 
what compreffed, about an 
thick, externally yellowilh, with a 
greenifh tinge, rugofe, internally whitifh, and of a fpongy texture : the 
one another, and commonly 
leaves are long, fword-ihaped, fheathin 
undulated on one fide : the flowers are fmall, numerous, and produced: 
on a fpadix or conical fpike at the edge of the leaf: there is no calyx : 
the corolla is compofed of fix petals, which are fmall, membranous^ 
concave, and appear truncated : the fix filaments are thick, fomewhat 
longer than the petals, and furnifhed with double antherae : the ger- 
men is gibbous, oblong, without a ftyle, and terminated by a pointed, 
ftigma : the capfule is oblong, triangular, and divided into three cells,, 
containing numerous oval feeds. 
According to Linnaeus, this is the only true aromatic plant indigenous 
to northern climates. It is common in many parts of England, and 
ufually grows in ftagnant waters, and the fides of rivers, producing 
its flowers in May and June. 
The roots of Calamus aromaticus have been long medicinally em- 
ployed, 3 and were formerly imported here from Afia and the Levant ; 
* 
The virtues of Calamus aromaticus are noticed both by the Greeks and Arabians. 
See DioJ. L* i. c. 2. Atyin* p. 141, 
but 
