THE ETHNOBOTANY OF SWEET FLAG, ACORUS-CALAMUS (ARACEAE)

Sweet flag, Acorus calamus, one of the few extratropical members of th e Araceae, is a semi-aquatic component of aquatic habitats throughout the temperate to sub-temperate regions of Eurasia and the Americas. Th e plant has a rich ethnobotanical history dating back possibly to the time of Moses in the Old Testament of the Bible and in early Greek and Roman medicine. Sweet flag, thought to be indigenous to India and spr ead along trade routes, has been valued for its rhizome and fragrant o ils which have been used medicinally, in alcoholic beverages, as a fra grant essence in perfumes and oils, and for insecticidal properties. C urrent research investigates sweet flag's value as an insecticidal, an tibacterial and antifungal agent. This paper is a comprehensive survey of the past, present and future uses of sweet flag.