-IBIS-1.5.0-

rx

herb

Acorus calamus (Sweet Flag)

botanicals

definition

botanical name(s): Acorus calamus

synonyms: sweet flag, beewort, calamus, sweet sedge, chuanpu (Chinese), grass myrtle, myrtle flag, sweet grass, sweet myrtle, sweet rush, kalmus, acore vrai, calamo arornatico, acoro aromatico

part(s) used: rhizome, root

qualities: aromatic, pungent, bitter, sweet, warm, dry

affinities: mucous membranes

actions: carminative, diaphoretic, sialogogue, spasmolytic, stomachic

dosage:

» root: 1 - 3 g

» tincture: 2 - 4 ml.

» decoction: 1 tsp. herb to 1 cup water; half - 1 cup a.c.

therapy: encourages secretory action of stomach; anorexia nervosa; lack of appetite in asthenic, young girls; children with umbilical colic; children with appetite disorders; tones mucous membrane lining mouth and throat; to stop smoking; teething children (Weiss, pp. 44-45); acute and chronic dyspepsia; gastritis; gastric ulcer; intestinal colic (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 14). Increases appetite, improves digestion

AHPA Botanical Safety Rating: 1 (American variety: var. americanus Wolff) 2b-3 (Asian/European variety) Note: Any sample not positively identified as American variety should be treated with caution appropriate for Asian and European varieties. (McGuffin, p.4)

toxicity: 3

» use with caution during pregnancy due to emmenagogue effect (Lust, Farnsworth)

» potential hallucinogen (Kinghorn; Lewis and Elvin-Lewis; Schultes and Hofmann, p. 201)

»isolated constituents, beta-asarone and safrole, have been shown to be carcinogenic (Duke, pp. 14-15)

constituents: volatile oil; organic acids, polysaccharides

drug interactions:

footnotes

British Herbal Medical Association. 1983. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. West Yorks, England: The British Herbal Medical Association.

Farnsworth NR, Bingel AS, Cordell GA, Crane FA, Fong HHS. 1975. Potential Value of Plants as Sources of New Antifertility Agents I. J. Pharm. Sci., 64:535-98.

Kinghorn, A.D. Editor. 1979. Toxic Plants. New York: Columbia University Press.

Lewis, W.H., and Elvin, M.P. 1977. Medical Botany. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Lust, J. 1983. The Herb Book. New York: Bantam Books.

McGuffin, Michael, ed. 1997. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: C.R.C. Press.

Schults, R.E., Hoffmann, A. 1973. The Botany of Hallucinogens. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Weiss, R.F. 1988. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum; Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers, Ltd.

ize="8">Lewis, W.H., and Elvin, M.P. 1977. Medical Botany. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Lust, J. 1983. The Herb Book. New York: Bantam Books.

McGuffin, Michael, ed. 1997. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: C.R.C. Press.

Schults, R.E., Hoffmann, A. 1973. The Botany of Hallucinogens. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Weiss, R.F. 1988. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum; Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers, Ltd.

rcanum; Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers, Ltd.