beewort
Acorus calamus L.

Acorus calamus, known as beewort, is a tall wetland monocot in the Acoraceae family. It contains psychoactive compounds and has been traditionally used for digestive and pain-related ailments, though it lacks clinical validation for safety or effectiveness. Due to potential toxicity, it is banned for food use in the United States.
Description
Acorus calamus is a flowering plant native to wetlands and is part of the Acoraceae family. It is distributed across regions including Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and other parts of North America, as well as the Nearctic, Oriental, and Palaearctic zones. The plant has been historically used in traditional medicine for treating digestive issues and pain. However, no scientific evidence supports its safety or efficacy, and it may be harmful if consumed. As a result, it is prohibited for use in food products in the United States.
Other common names
CalamusEuropean SweetflagFlag-RootFlagrootMyrtle-FlagSweet CalamusSweet FlagSweet-FlagSweet-RootSweetflagSweetrootbeewortcalamus rootcalamus-rootflag root
Distribution
Manitoba · New Brunswick · Nova Scotia · Ontario · Prince Edward Island · Quebec · Nearctic · Oriental (Indomalaya) · Palaearctic · DK · SE · TR · RU · ZA · HR · IE · Belgium · Brussels-Capital Region · Flemish Region · Walloon Region · France · The Netherlands · Great Britain · GB · IT · BY · FR · UA · Luxembourg · Estonia
Synonyms
Calamus aromaticus
