Characteristics of the plant, recommendations for caring for calamus in the garden and indoors, advice on transplanting and reproduction, interesting facts, difficulties in growing, species. Calamus in Latin is called Acorus and belongs to the genus of perennials with evergreen leaves and a herbaceous form of growth. He is a member of the monotypic family of the Airnyhs, or as he is also called Airovs (Acoraceae). However, earlier this family was part of the subfamily Aroids, which in Latin are called Acoroideae. This genus is divided into two varieties of plants, which are characterized by different growing conditions - some like to settle in very damp places, while others are found in shallow water, mainly their thickets are located on the banks of waterways (near rivers, streams, lakes or marshy areas). According to some sources, up to six plant species are included in the genus.
For the first time about this green sword-bearing grass, which has a fragrant root, it was described in the works of Theophastus, which date back to the III millennium BC. The generic name Acorus (according to some versions) is an adaptation to the Latin dialect of the ancient Greek acaros and the word is feminine, meaning "air". And the Greek origin takes its roots from more ancient languages - so in Proto-Indo-European aker or oker went back to the root ak- or ok- and meant "sharp", "edge". Apparently, this is how the leaf plates of the plant were described, which in shape resembled the blade of a sword or knife by the ancients.
But there was another translation - "unadorned", "ugly", which also hinted at the appearance of calamus inflorescences, which were unattractive greenish-yellow ears.
The plant took its Russian name from the Turkish word agir, which was also born from the already mentioned ancient Greek progenitor. But among the people, calamus took the most diverse forms of names: saber, Tatar potion, gair, yaver, kalamus, flatbread, kalamos (translated as reed) or reed because of its resemblance to the aforementioned swamp green inhabitants. And it is so similar to the Ukrainian "air" or the Belarusian "yaer".
So, this plant, known in many countries, can consider the Chinese or Indian territories as its homeland, but at the moment it is quite common in the European part of the CIS, in the territories of Central Asia, Siberia and the Far East.
Calamus is a perennial with a developed rhizome and herbal form of growth. Indicators of the height of an adult specimen can be measured from 10 cm (for example, some cultivars of calamus) to 1 meter 20 cm (ordinary calamus possesses). The root process of calamus is thick, creeping in outline, horizontal, painted in brown tones, and reaching a thickness of 3 cm. If you break it, then the inside has a white-pinkish tint, is edible, there is also a pleasant aroma that resembles the smells of cinnamon or tangerine. The stem of the "Tatar potion" is upright, does not have branching, three edges with sharp ribbing are clearly visible.
The leaf plates are long, have linear-xiphoid outlines, alternate and colored in rich bright green tones. Their location on the rhizome is very similar to a fan, and is similar to iris bushes. The leaves very tightly begin to grow together with each other, as if covering the stem in such a way that the inflorescence that grows as a result seems to emerge from the center of the leaf. If the leaf is broken, then a characteristic pleasant aroma is clearly heard, which includes a marsh note.
From the flowers, a cob-shaped inflorescence of a cylindrical shape is collected, which in length can be measured from 4 to 12 cm. From the very base of this inflorescence, a sheet-cover departs, reaching up to half a meter in length. The petals of the buds are greenish-yellow. Flower of both sexes, there is a perianth formed from two narrow outlines of scaly leaves. Single pistil, six stamens. Interestingly, in flowers, maturation first falls on the stigmas, and at the second stage, when the stigmas have already lost their ability to absorb pollen, the anthers are opened.
In the process of fruiting, oblong dry or dryish berries ripen, in which a large number of seeds are present. The color of the fruit is red or greenish. The plant reproduces by means of transfer by animals, that is, it has the properties of an epizoochory.
All varieties of calamus are successfully used in landscape decoration by designers. It is customary to plant these plants in the coastal zones of artificial streams, ponds and reservoirs. Their highly decorative leaves look organically in any garden area. When grown, this green representative of the flora is not at all capricious, and will only require the owner to carry out regular pruning in order to slightly limit its distribution. Calamus (namely, its cereal type) is often used as an aquarium plant.
Agrotechnics for growing calamus
- Lighting. If the plant is grown in the house, then it will be required that the level of illumination is sufficient, only without direct sunlight from 12 to 16 hours of the day. The plant must be placed on windowsill windows that face east or west. Illumination should be soft, diffused. If calamus is planted in a garden plot, and the place is sunny, then it can be the banks of artificial reservoirs, but when the landing is in partial shade, then the soil is selected more dry.
- Content temperature. When calamus is cultivated indoors, in the summer period the optimal heat values are maintained within the range of 18-22 degrees, and in winter the thermometer can drop only 3-5 degrees less. However, lower temperatures are harmful to the plant. At night, the coolness and the action of the draft are not terrible for the saber. Many varieties of calamus, if planted outdoors, can withstand short-term temperature drops of -35 degrees Celsius. But if such conditions continue for a long time and the soil freezes over, the plant dies. Many growers move the calamus planting indoors, without leaving it to winter.
- Watering calamus. The plant loves abundant watering, but can easily tolerate a short dry period, since in natural conditions it lives on coastal moist soils. But it is necessary to make sure that the soil does not dry out at home. You can also plant "Tatar potion" on hydroponic material.
- Air humidity. The plant needs an increased moisture content in the environment. Therefore, when growing in rooms of calamus, it is recommended to regularly spray or place humidifiers nearby. You can install a pot with a plant in deep trays, at the bottom of which water is poured and drainage material (expanded clay, pebble or broken brick) is poured.
- Fertilizers for plants … It is better to refuse feeding, especially if calamus is grown in aquariums. The increased content of nutrients will lead to the rapid development of algae, and this will adversely affect the growth of the cinquefoil.
- Transplantation and selection of a substrate. If calamus is a house plant, then it is necessary to change the pot only when the roots have already mastered all the soil provided to them. The capacity is selected wider than high. The substrate for home cultivation is composed of sod soil, peat soil and river sand (in proportions of 2: 1: 2). If possible, river silt is used instead of sod soil. When the plant is planted in open ground, it is necessary to select a site with moist and nutritious soil (rich in humus). It is easiest to find such a substrate near a body of water where the soil contains silt. Before planting, the place must be prepared: dig up the ground and clear it of weeds, mix a little compost, peat substrate or clay into it.
Planting is best done during the spring months. Marsh calamus must be planted in water at a depth of at least 20 cm, and the cereal variety only by 10 cm. You can plant at the bottom of an artificial or natural reservoir in seedling boxes or pots.
It is recommended to periodically weed the calamus and loosen the soil a little, being careful not to touch the root.
Plant propagation recommendations
You can get several new plants by dividing a heavily overgrown saber bush during transplantation. You should try to carefully divide the root system with your hands or cut it with a sharpened disinfected knife into divisions, so that each has a growing point. Then they are covered with a substrate, which was described earlier in an almost horizontal position, planting in separate containers. Calamus has a high growth rate.
Problems in breeding cinquefoil
If the plant is grown indoors, it can be affected by the red spider mite, against which insecticidal treatments are used in horticulture.
When the soil is overcooled, it will lead to rotting of the calamus root system.
Interesting facts about calamus
In ancient times, a delicacy was made using peeled calamus root, it was simply sugared.
The rhizome contains a lot of essential oil, suitable for use in the food and perfume industry. Seasonings are made from it, and in folk medicine it has long been known as a drug with an antispasmodic and hemostatic effect.
After research in 2011, varieties of calamus - marsh and cereal, began to be included in the list of plants that have poisonous potent or narcotic substances. In Tibet, lamas often made a plaster with the help of calamus rhizome, which was applied to treat some specific diseases that are associated with disorders of the musculoskeletal system. In the same areas, means are prepared from the root for toning the body or driving helminths. It was customary for Chinese monks to take remedies created on the basis of calamus root for various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as to relieve suffering from rheumatic diseases.
But Polish healers from the root of the "Tatar potion" prepared decoctions and rinsed the head with them, relieving alopecia. Such a remedy also helps well as a drug with an expectorant effect, or in the treatment of inflammatory processes.
Can be used in veterinary medicine, it is useful to give it to animals to improve digestion, as an aromatic bitterness. If the root is dried and then ground into powder, then burns, wounds and ulcers on the skin of animals are sprinkled with this remedy.
Calamus is included in the pharmacopoeias of different countries, since it has long been used by traditional healers.
There is information that calamus got the name of the Tatar potion thanks to the Tatar-Mongols. These peoples believed that if you put the root of calamus in the water, then the liquid can be consumed without risk to health, since all disease-causing organisms will be destroyed. And when the hordes of the Tatar-Mongols advanced through the conquered lands, they threw the roots of the cinquefoil into the reservoirs, thereby increasing the distribution area of this green healer.
However, there are contraindications and warnings:
- you should not use the plant for women expecting a baby;
- overdose of calamus-based drugs can lead to nausea and vomiting;
- hypotensive patients should be very careful to treat with drugs based on calamus, as well as those people who have been diagnosed with kidney disease in the acute stage.
Since a large amount of the substance "asarone" has been identified in most species of cinquefoil, it is believed that this plant is carcinogenic and can lead to problems in oncology. But the European varieties of this plant contain this substance in small quantities.
On the basis of calamus (namely, essential oil) in modern medicine, the drug olimetin is made, with the help of which urolithiasis is treated. This remedy helps with the accumulation of stone deposits and sand in the bile and ducts.
When the dried root of calamus is ground into powder, it is a raw material for the manufacture of a medical preparation vikalin or vikair, which is prescribed for gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
Also, on the basis of calamus rhizome, many gastric herbal preparations and teas are made to raise the appetite.
Powdered cinquefoil root is used for chewing, as a remedy for the prevention of ARI (viral respiratory infections), in ancient times it was very common during epidemics of cholera, plague, typhoid, etc.
It is interesting that if it is necessary to wean off smoking, then traditional healers recommend chewing calamus root. After that, when trying to drag on a cigarette, a steady gag reflex occurs.
Description of calamus species
- Common calamus (Acorus calamus) … The plant took its name from the Greek word, which in translation meant - a cane or a hollow stem. Likes to settle along the banks of waterways in Eurasia and America. The length of the rhizome can be measured 4 cm across. The length of the leaf plates varies from one meter to one and a half meters, their shape is linear, and they are somewhat similar to the leaves of a marsh iris. In length, they can reach 60–120 cm with a width of 2.5 cm. From the flowers, cobs of a green shade are collected, which are measured 8 cm in length. The flowering process occurs in mid-summer. It can settle both in shaded places and in sunny places, but in partial shade the substrate should be quite dry. All parts of the plant have a pleasant specific aroma. This variety is actively used in the food industry and in the creation of medicines.
- Calamus cereal (Acorus gramineus). The plant usually settles in the coastal zone of water bodies throughout the lands of East Asia and is found in areas of Japan, where a humid subtropical climate prevails. Perennial of herbaceous origin, with height parameters of 10–30 cm. Leaf plates can reach 0, 3–0, 6 cm in width and their shape is very similar to the previous form, only in miniature sizes and they are softer. The inflorescences have parameters up to 2.5 cm long. If this variety of calamus grows in the territory of central Russia, then it does not bloom. Cold snap resistance is average. When growing, it will be necessary to transfer calamus to conditions of cold greenhouses in winter or cover it with agrofibre.
- American calamus (Acorus americanus). This variety predominantly chose the lands of North America for its growth. The variety has increased resistance to harmful insects and fluctuations in humidity.
- Broad-leaved calamus (Acorus latifolius). The homeland of this variety is considered to be the region of modern China.
- Air Tatarinov (Acorus tatarinowii). This species also grows in the lands of the modern Chinese state. It bears the name in honor of the diplomat from Russia - Alexander Alekseevich Tatarinov, who was also a public figure, was engaged in science, knew China and its customs well, was a doctor and researcher of botany. As you can see, there are several varieties, but it is easy to get confused in them, therefore, in the world of botany, scientists have developed several rules for recognizing the types of calamus: you need to make out the rhizome, it must have a traditional shape and color. If this condition is not met, then this means that this specimen is simply a variety of this plant.
Find out in more detail about the beneficial properties of calamus from this video:
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