Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Araceae: Arum Family Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Arales Family: Araceae Genus: Acorus Species: calamus Botany The common names for Acorus calamus are calamus and sweet flag. Acorus calamus is categorized into 3 varieties based on number of its chromosomes: americanus (diploid chromosomes), vulgarus (triploid chromosomes) and angustatus (tetraploid chromosomes). Americanus is native to North America, Siberia and temperate Asia. Vulgarus is native to Europe, temperate India and the Himalayas. Angustatus is native to tropical Southeast Asia, Japan and Taiwan. Acorus from Europe, China and Japan have been planted in the United States. Acorus gramineus is the only other member of the Acorus genus. Chemistry Both triploid and tetraploid calamus contain asarone, but diploid does not contain any. Regulations Calamus and products derived from calamus (such as its oil) were banned in 1968 as food additives and medicines by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Usage Calamus has been used medicinally for a variety of ailments. Calamus has been used as a "street drug alternative". External Links Family Araceae Genus Acorus FDA street drug alternative warning letter This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.