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Chemical content
Acanthospermum australe contains heliantheae, carboxyl group at C-10,
geranylgeranoil derivatives, sesquiterpene, diterpene lactones (Bohlmann, 1980).
3.2.2. Scientific name : Acorus calamus L.
Zulu name : Kalumuzi
Common name : Sweet calomel
Figure 3.2 A flowering Acorus calamus.
(www.hlasek.com/Acorus_calamus_a207.html)
Botanical description
Sweet flag is a reed-like, rhizome-forming, perennial that can grow up to 2 m high. It
inhabits perpetually wet areas like the edges of streams, around ponds and lakes,
and in ditches and seeps. The plant has long, creeping roots that spread just below
the surface of the soil. This plant very rarely flowers or sets fruit, but when it does the
flowers are 3-8 cm long, cylindrical in shape, greenish brown and covered in a
multitude of rounded spikes. The fruits are small, berry-like, and contain few seeds.
This plant flowers from early to late summer (Stafford, 1992).
Distribution
Acorus calamus has been cultivated since earley colonial times and has become
naturalized along a stream bank in Noth West province (Van Wyk et al., 1997).
Conservation status
No information on its conservation status was found.
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