Details

Botanical Name	Acorus calamus L.
Family	Araceae
Local Name	Bojho
English Name	Sweet Flag

Plant Description

Sweet Flag is a perennial, semi-aquatic, erect, aromatic, herb reaching up to 70 cm in height. The plant have thick creeping root. Leaves are distichous, with parallel nerves. Spathe are leaf like with small yellow green bisexual flowers. It is distributed throughout Nepal within the althitudinal range of 200-2300m in wet, marshy places. It grows on the margins of lakes and streams with long branched rhizomes immersed in mud.

Uses

The oil used as anticonvulsant, antiseptic, bactericidal, carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant, insecticide, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vermifuge, hypotensive, spasmolytic etc. Calamus causes increased dilation of spleenic vessels, an important factor in regulating blood pressure.
Since the oil is reported to have carcinogenic properties, it is not recommended for internal use.
The oil is used in perfumery and to scent hair powders. Oil is added to mouth washes and used to flavour the alcohlic beverages.

Extraction

Calamus oil is extracted form the steam distillation of the dried rhizomes of Acoris calamus.