Botanical Name: Acorus calamus Plant Part: Root Extraction Method: Steam Distilled Origin: India Description: A perennial plant, Calamus Root grows to a height of 1m with a spread of 0.5m. The rhizome is horizontal, creeping, cylindrical, branched and up to 2m long, with a spicy aroma; the fruit are greenish berries. Indigenous to the northern hemisphere, it prefers lake margins, swampy ditches, or marshes in a protected position. It is frost resistant, but drought tender. Color: Yellow to yellowish brown slightly viscous liquid. Common Uses: Calamus Root Oil is a stimulating nervine, antispasmodic, and a general tonic to the mind. As a stimulant for the brain and nervous system, it is used to promote cerebral circulation, to stimulate self-expression, and to help manage a wide range of symptoms in the head, including neuralgia, epilepsy, memory loss and shock. Consistency: Thin Note: Base Strength of Aroma: Medium Blends well with: Lavender, Tea Tree, Rosemary, Clary Sage, Geranium and Marjoram. Aromatic Scent: Calamus Root has a refreshing scent similar to cinnamon. History: Calamus Root is also known as Sweet Flag, and was well-known in Biblical times and mentioned in Exodus 30: 22-25 as one of the ingredients of the \'holy anointing oil\'. This herb has traditionally been smoked, eaten, or brewed into a tea, decoction, extract, tincture and syrup. According to Ayurvedic tradition, Vacha is a \'sattvic\' herb, which feeds and transmutes the sexual \'kundalini\' energy. Calamus has been called \'the closest thing to a sex stimulant that nature has to offer. Acorus calamus root was also used by the ancient Greeks and included in the traditional remedies of many other European cultures. Cautions: Caution is advised on the use of this essential oil, since large doses can cause mild hallucinations. The essential oil in the roots of this plant contains the compound asarone. This has tranquillizing and antibiotic activity, but is also potentially toxic. Use well diluted and avoid during pregnancy.
