| American Sweet Flag | ||||||||||||||
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| Acorus americanus [[(Raf.) Raf.]] |
Acorus americanus, the American Sweet Flag, is an emergent wetland plant native to the northern United States and Canada. This perennial plant has bright green blade-shaped leaves that arising directly from the rhizomes and sheath into each other at the base. Additionally the blades have 2-6 raised veins, and a swollen center when viewed in cross section. The foliage has a citrus-like spicy aromatic quality, and can be used to flavor beer. It is a flowering plant with inconspicuous flowers are arranged on a lateral spadix (a thickened, fleshy axis), the fertilized flowers of this species produces berries with a jelly inside. This plant is protected as a state endangered species in Pennsylvania.[1]
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Etymology
The name "Acorus" is derived from the Greek word 'acoron', a name used by Dioscorides, which in turn was derived from 'coreon', meaning 'pupil', because it was used in herbal medicine as a treatment for inflammation of the eye.
The species name, "americanus" simply indicates that this is an American species of this genus, differentiating it from the very similar European and western Asian species Acorus calamus.
Taxonomy
Acorus americanus was formerly classified as Acorus calamus var. americanus. However it differs in being a fertile diploid (2n = 24)[2], whereas A. calamus is a sterile triploid species, that only spreads asexually. Diploid plants in northern Asia may be part of A. americanus.
Uses
This plant was used extensively by Native Americans and early European settlers.
Chemistry
As a diploid species of genus Acorus it does contain Alpha asarone. Asarone is a possible precursor in the synthesis of the psychedelic phenethylamine TMA-2. This chemical is part of the reason that Calamus derived products were banned as food additives in the United States, because of the Beta Asarone which can be a carcinogen, which was found in the Asian varieties.
External links
- Rook.com entry Information about the plant and a picture.
http://users.lycaeum.org/~iamklaus/acorus.htm
References
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
