A Comprehensive Look at Calamus Varieties

Calamus

Acorus calamus is warm in nature and pungent in flavor. It has the effects of opening up the orifices, resolving phlegm, invigorating the spleen and calming the mind.

Characteristics of calamus

Acorus calamus is in the shape of a curved spindle, with a brown-yellow surface, semi-circular protrusions on the segments, which are arranged alternately in an oblique direction, and dot-like protrusions on the nodes. The material of Acorus calamus is hard and brittle, and the broken surface is granular. The smell is slightly sour and the tongue becomes numb after taking it.

Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus is warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, and has the effects of removing dampness, stimulating appetite, refreshing the mind and improving intelligence. Acorus calamus grows between water and rocks. Its leaves have sword-like ridges, its roots are relatively thin, and the internodes are short. It is more than one foot tall.

Characteristics of Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus is a curved flat cylindrical plant, often with branches. Its surface is brown in color, feels rough to the touch, has uneven segments, and has fine longitudinal wrinkles. The material of Acorus calamus is hard and brittle, easy to break, the folded end has a fibrous feel, and the ring marks on the inner cortex are relatively obvious. "Chongqingtang Essays" once recorded that "Acorus calamus can soothe the mind, relax the spirit, cheer up the mood, and benefit the mind. It is also a wonderful medicine", which fully shows that Acorus calamus is a good medicine.

Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus is warm in nature and bitter in taste. As a common Chinese medicine, it has the effects of resolving phlegm, invigorating the orifices, strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness. Acorus calamus mostly grows in streams. Its leaves are relatively slender, thin and narrow, and its roots are about two or three feet long.

Characteristics of Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus is similar to Acorus calamus, but has a thicker rhizome and fewer branches. The nodes are sparse, the material is hard, the cross-section is spongy with small holes, and it has a slightly muddy smell. The rhizome is oblate and rarely branched. The aroma is strong and unique, and the taste is bitter and spicy.

Identification of three types of calamus

Soak the three types of calamus powder in ether for 20 minutes, then take the extract and apply it on filter paper. After it dries, observe it under a 254nm ultraviolet lamp: Acorus calamus appears light green, Acorus tatarinowii appears purple-red, and Acorus calamus appears bluish-purple. The three are easiest to distinguish by their size: Acorus calamus is the thinnest, Acorus calamus is the second smallest, and Acorus calamus is the thickest.

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