279 ACORUS CALAMUS 



rapidly became established. In England it was probably intro- 

 duced about 1596, being first grown by Gerard, who may have 

 received it from Robin of Paris, who had it in cultivation a few 

 years before ; it is now found thoroughly wild on the margins 

 of ponds and rivers in most of the English counties, and is in 

 some districts very abundant ; in Scotland it is scarce and 

 evidently introduced. It is found in all European countries 

 except Spain, and becomes more abundant eastward, and in 

 Southern Russia, Northern Asia Minor, and Southern Siberia 

 appears to be a native, extending also to India, China, and 

 Japan; it is also found in the Northern United States of 

 America, where according to A. Gray it is also truly indigenous. 

 It is said to be grown to a small extent in Burma and Ceylon, 

 and is common in gardens in India, but the wild plant is 

 that generally collected for use especially in South Russia. 



Though naturally an aquatic, the Sweet Flag will grow well 

 in gardens, but under such conditions rarely flowers. Ripe fruit 

 must be very rarely produced ; we have never met with it in this 

 country, or seen it in herbariums ; it is somewhat differently de- 

 scribed by writers. The leaves are much like those of Iris, but 

 may be distinguished from that and from all others by the peculiar 

 crimped edges of the leaves and their aromatic odour when 

 bruised, or broken across. The delicate ovules form a beautiful 

 and instructive subject for microscopic examination. 



Several species have been described from India and China, 

 which are probably mere varieties of A. Calamus. The small 

 A. granrineus, Ait., of North China and Japan, is, however, generally 

 allowed to be distinct. 



Syme, E. Bot., ix, p. 11; Hook, f., Stud. Flora, p. 394; Watson, 

 Comp, Cyb. Br., p. 348; Trimen, in Journ. Bot., 1871, p. 163; 

 Ledebour, Fl. Rossica, iv, p. 13 ; Gren. & Godr., Fl. France, 

 iii, p. 332; A. Gray, Man. Bot. U. States, p. 478; Benth., Fl. 

 Hongkong., p. 345; Lindl., Fl. Med., p. 606; Schott, Prod. 

 Syst. Anoid., p. 578. 



Official Part and Name. CALAMUS ; the rhizome (U. S. P. 

 Secondary). It is not official in the British Pharmacopoeia, or 



