Acorus calamus

The root of the plant Acorus calamus (also called flag root and sweet calomel), which grows over much of the world, is chewed by the Cree Indians of Canada to produce psychedelic effects. The active compound seems to be asarone — a precursor in an hallucinogenic amphetamine. 

Southern blue flag Iris virginica) Sweet flag Acorus calamus)... 

Calamus oil (sweet flag oil) is obtained by steam distillation of fresh or unpeeled, dried roots of Acorus calamus L. (Araceae). It is a yellow to medium brown, moderately viscous liquid with a pleasant, spicy, aromatic odor. 

Calamus Acorus calamus L. (3-Asarone diploid variety (0), triploid variety (0-10), tetra-ploid variety (up to 96%)... 

Bown, D. 1987. Acorus calamus L a species with a history. Aroideana (International Aroid Society, South Miami, FL) 10 11-14. 

Zanthoxylum americanum Acorus calamus, A. gramineus Chenopodium ambrosiodes... 

Acorus calamus, A. gramineus, Alpinia galanga, Conyza canadensis, Coriandrum sativum, Erigeron canadensis, Tagetes patula, erecta Tagetes patula Linum usitatissimum Linaria vulgaris... 

Acorus calamus, A. gramineus Aesculus hippocastanum, Anagalis arvensis, Anemone pulsatilla, Aster tataricus, A. tataricus, Avena sativa, Benincase hispida, Betula lenta, B. pendala, B. verrucosa, Calendula officinalis, Catharanthus roseus, Centella asiatica, Chenopodium ambrosiodes, Clematis vitalba,... 

The drug asarone, which comes from a plant, Acorus calamus (found in Asia, Europe, and North America) is chemically very similar to mescaline. The roots of this plant are chewed to produce a dose-dependent effect about 2 inches produces a mild euphoria, whereas nearly 10 inches produces hallucinations. In some cultures, wives will chew on the roots and collect their expectorant throughout the day for their husbands to enjoy later. Nothing says welcome home at the end of a hard day like a nice warm bowl of spit. 

Fig. 27.15. AOA of water (A) and alcohol (B) herb extracts obtained by photometric and potentiometric methods. Herb extracts samples (1) Haw (2) Juniper fetus (3) Acorus calamus rhizome (4) Dandelion roots (5) Oak bark.

Material A chemical related to mescaline and the amphetamines found in the roots of sweet flag ( Acorus calamus ) and Asarum spp. It is chemically the precusor of TMA-2 (2,4,5-trimethoxy-a-methyl-4,5-methylenedioxyphenylethylamine), a hallucinogen with 18 times the gram potency of mescaline. Asarone is converted to TMA-2 in the body by aminization which takes place shortly after ingestion. 

CALAMUS -- Sweet flag, rat root ( Acorus calamus ). Family Araceae (Arum family). 

For at least 2,000 years, Acorus calamus has been used in India and China as a medicine. In Ayurvedic practice, the plant is called racha and recommended as a remedy for bronchitis, asthma and fevers. In China, where it s known as shih-ch ang pu, it is used to relieve constipation and swelling. According to Exodus 30 22-25, this was one of the constituents of a "holy annointing oil that the Lord commanded Moses to make and rub on his body when he approached the Tabernacle. 

Asarone Acorus calamus (calamus oil) (Aracaceae), Insect attractant (OD-R)... 

Daucus carota (Apiaceae), Acorus calamus (oil) (Araceae), Asarum europaeum (Aristolochiaceae),... 

Minato et have reported the isolation of acorenone (149) from Acorus calamus L. The physical properties (m.p., [ajp) which they ascribe to this compound are markedly different from two previous sets of data. Hydrogenation ofacorenone is reported to give isoacorone (150 R = Me, = H)andacorone (150 R = H, R = Me). Recently, Conia et al. have demonstrated that thermal cyclization (220 °C) of the appropriately substituted cyclohexanone (151) [derived from (-+- )-3-methylcyclohexanone] yielded four isomeric spiro-diketones closely related to the acorane skeleton. The intermediacy of the isopropylidene isomer (152) was indicated and from a detailed study of n.m.r. solvent shifts and c.d. spectra it was concluded that these four spiro-diketones can be represented as (153)—(156). 

Acorus calamus was originally classified as a member of the arum family (Araceae), but is now designated as belonging to its own family, the Acoraceae, of which it is the only member. 

Acorus calamus (calamus root, sweet flag, rat root, sweet sedge, flag root, sweet calomel, sweet myrtle, sweet cane, sweet rush, beewort, muskrat root, pine root) contains several active constituents called asar-ones. The basic structure is 2,4,5-trimethoxy-l-propenyl-benzene, which is related to the hallucinogen 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylisopropylamine (MDA). The amounts of the asarones in calamus rhizomes vary considerably with the botanical variety. For example, there are high concentrations in triploid calamus from Eastern Europe but none detectable in the diploid North American variety. 

Acorus calamus has been used as a hallucinogen since ancient times and it has several uses in folk medicine. It may have been one of the constituents of the Holy Oil that God commanded Moses to make (Exodus 30) and is mentioned by ancient writers on medicine, such as Hippocrates, Theophrastus, Dioscorides, and Celsus (http //www.alb2c3.eom/drugs/var002.htm). Walt Whitman s 39 Calamus poems are to be found in his well-known collection Leaves of Grass. ... 

Acorus calamus has in vitro antiprohferative and immunosuppressive actions (1). 

Acorus calamus contains beta-asarone [(Z)-l,2, 4-trimethoxy-5-prop-l-enyl-benzene], which is carcinogenic (2). Commercial calamus preparations have mutagenic effects in bacteria (3), while calamus oil (Jammu variety) is carcinogenic in rats. 

Mehrotra S, Mishra KP, Mauiya R, Srimal RC, Yadav VS, Pandey R, Singh VK. Anticellular and immunosuppressive properties of ethanohe extract of Acorus calamus rhizome. Int Immunopharmacol 2003 3(I) 53-6I. 

Bertea CM, Azzolin CM, Bossi S, Dogha G, Maffei ME. Identification of an EcoRI restriction site for a rapid and precise determination of beta-asarone-free Acorus calamus cytotypes. Phytochemistry 2005 66(5) 507-I4. 

Acorus calamus (calamus root) Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut)... 

Sophora falvescens (ku shen) Fabaceae (pea) Caiamus root Acorus calamus... 

The Spadix is a thick, fleshy rachis with flowers closely sessile or embedded on it, usually with a spathe or sheathing bract. Example Calla, Acorus Calamus, Arum triphyllum. 

The taller seed-like plants of the marsh-land, such as seed-grass Phragmites), the bur-reed (Sparganium), the cat-tails Typha), the blue flags Iris), the sweet flag Acorus calamus) and the papyrus Papyrus) form associations known as fresh-water marshes, reed-marshes or fens. The channels or pools of water in amongst these amphibious plants are filled with true aquatic plants. 

Calamus Oil Acorus calamus) The two studies we have previously noted [48,63] show that various Indian sources show contents of 0.0-2.79%, and various Japanese grown sources as having 2.4 - 48.9% methylisoeugenol. Both cis and trans isomers are present but the trans outnumbers the cis by 20 1. 

Calamus. Sweet flag root. Acorus calamus. W. II. 199, Bn. II. 63. Radix. The root. ... 

---