Calamus

Common calamus (Acorus calamus L.) — a perennial species. It probably originates from India and China but spread across various climate zones. It was brought to Poland by Tatars or Turks during their invasions — hence its folk name, “Tatar herb.” It grows throughout the country on the banks of lakes, ponds, and streams, and in marshes and bogs. The calamus rhizome is strongly aromatic, especially when broken — with a cinnamon-camphor scent. The rhizome yields essential oil, tannins, bitter compounds, mucilage, carbohydrates, organic acids, and mineral salts.

Magical properties. Calamus is one of the biblical plants — mentioned as “sweet cane,” it was said, alongside myrrh, cinnamon, and cassia, to be an ingredient of the anointing oil. Among many Native American tribes of North America, calamus was highly valued and widely used as a remedy for nearly every ailment.