Calamus Oil

Specifications

Calmus Oil/ Acorus calamus

Description

The Sweet Sedge is a perennial herb, in habit somewhat resemblingthe Iris, with a long, indefinite, branched, cylindrical rhizome immersed in the mud, usually smaller than that of the Iris, about the thickness of a finger and emitting numerous roots. The erect leaves are yellowish-green, 2 to 3 feet in length, few, all radical, sheathing at their bases (which are pink), swordshaped, narrow and flat, tapering into a long, acute point, the edges entire, but wavy or crimped. The leaves are much like those of Iris, but may readily be distinguished from these and from all others by the peculiar crimped edges and their aromatic odour when bruised.

The scape or flower-stem arises from the axils of the outer leaves, which it much resembles, but is longer and solid and triangular. From one side, near the middle of its length, projecting upwards at an angle, from the stem, it sends out a solid, cylindrical, blunt spike or spadix, tapering at each end, from 2 to 4 inches in length, often somewhat curved and densely crowded with very small greenish-yellow flowers. Each tiny flower contains six stamens enclosed in a perianth with six divisions and surrounding a threecelled, oblong ovary with a sessile stigma. The flowers are sweet-scented and so formed that cross-pollination is ensured, but the plant is not usually fertile in the British Isles, as it is in Asia, the proper insects being absent here. The fruit, which does not ripen inEurope, is a berry, being full of mucus, which falls when ripe into the water or to the ground, and is thus dispersed, but it fruits sparingly everywhere and propagates itself mainly by the rapid growth of its spreading rhizome.

It is easily distinguished from all other British plants by its peculiar spadix, which appears in June and July, and by the fragrance of its roots, stems and leaves.

Constituents & Specifications : 
Acorenone, b-gurjunene, Isoshyobunine, b-asarone, Calamendiol, a-selinene, a-calacorene, Calamusenone, Camphone, Shyobunone

Specific Gravity : 0.99200 - 0.99300 @ 72°F
Refractive Index : 1.54502 - 1.55500 @ 72°F

Properties : 
Aromatic stimulant & tonic, for curing nervous complaints, vertigo and headaches, antiseptic, anticonvulsant, bactericidal, diaphoretic, carminative, expectorant, insecticide, hypotensive, spasmolytic, stomachic, stimulant, tonic and vermifuge.

Benefits & Uses : 

• Calamus essential oil, Acorus calamus, is highly esteemed as an aromatic stimulant and tonic, often used for nervous complaints, vertigo, headaches, and dysentery.
• A fluid extract is an official preparation in the United States and some other Pharmacopceias, but it is not now official in the British Pharmacopceia, though it is much used in herbal medicine as an aromatic bitter.
• It also acts as a carminative, removing the discomfort caused by flatulence and checking the growth of the bacteria which give rise to this problem.
• It has been often used to increase the appetite and benefit digestion, given as a fluid extract, infusion or tincture.
• The tincture is, obtained by macerating the finely-cut rhizome in alcohol for seven days and filtering, is used as a stomachic and flavouring agent. The essential is used as an addition to, and included in inhalations blends.