American Sweet flag

(Acorus americanus)

Other Names:
Calmus, sweetflag

Range:


Family:
Acoraceae - Aroids Family

Growth Type:
Aquatic perennial

Height:
Up to 5' tall

Leaves:
Erect blade shaped leaves which bear a superficial resemblance to those of cattail. The bright green leaves fan out from a central point which is most often pink. The leaves have parallel veins and a prominent midrib that is noticeably off center. A cross section of the leaf shows the midrib to be swollen. This gives them even more of a swordlike appearance. When a leaf is cut or crushed it will often release a sweet citrus like scent.

Stem/Trunk:
The stem, or scape, appears to resemble a leaf, but that is only superficial. Upon closer examination the stem is triangular in cross section.

Root:
Thick creeping rhizomes. The exteriors are brownish in color, but the fleshy interior is white.

Flower Season:
May to July

Flower Appearance:
From the flower stem, or scape, a long erect bract grows. A single, cylindrical 2 to 4-inch flower spike angles upward from the union of the stem and the bract. The slightly curved flower spike is crowded with small yellowish-green to brown flowers

Seed/Fruit:
The fruit is a berry filled with mucus, which when ripe falls into the water and disperses by floating. Most often though, propagation occurs through the spreading rhizomes.

Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A

Habitat:
Wetlands that receive full sun including wet soils and shallow water ditches, marshes, river edges, and ponds.

Parts Used:
Young shoot, rhizome

Culinary Uses:
Like cattails, the young stalks can be pulled when they are young. Typically these are about a foot tall. These inner stems can be eaten raw. The roots can be washed, peeled, cut into small pieces, boiled, and simmered in syrup to make candy.

The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.

Energetics
Taste: Pungent/Bitter
Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Drying

Medicinal Uses:
A. americanus has a very long history of medicinal use in Native American medicine. European and Asian species of this Acorus genus also have a very long history of use. Ayurveda and TCM use the leaves, stems, and roots to treat gastrointestinal upset, Dyspepsia, Gastritis, Colic, Flatulance, Gastric Ulcers, and Anorexia.

From Cook's Physio-Medical Dispensatory:
The root is stimulating and moderately relaxing, and quite pungent. It is called aromatic. It is rather pleasant to the taste; warms the stomach, aids the expulsion of flatus, and relieves cramps and colic. It is used in purely atonic dyspepsia; but its most common employment is as an adjuvant to preparations in which a carminative agent is desirable. It can easily be misused by giving it too freely, or in irritable conditions of the stomach and bowels. It may be eaten or boiled in milk with pimento or ginger.

Medicinal Actions:
Antipyretic, Antispasmodic, Aromatic, Bitter, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Emmenagogue, Tonic: Digestive