Acorus gramineus




Family Acoraceae
Scientific name Acorus gramineus Solander ex Aiton var. japonicus M. Hotta; Acorus gramineus Solander ex Aiton var. pusillus (Siebold) Engler; Acorus humilis Salisbury; Acorus pusillus Siebold; Acorus tatarinowii Schott
Synonyms Acorus gramineus var. pusillus (siebold) Engler; Acorus humilis Salisbury; Acorus pusillus Siebold; Acorus tatarinowii Schott
Common name (Japanese common name) seki-sho (セキショウ, 石菖 [seki-sho = Japanese pronunciation of a traditional Chinese medicine]), seki-shobu (セキショウブ, 石菖蒲 [seki-shobu = Japanese pronunciation of a traditional Chinese medicine])
(English common name) grass-leaf sweet flag, dwarf sweet flag
Distribution (Japan) Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu
(Other nations) Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, India
Habitat Stream in forest
Chromosomal number n=18, 22, 24
Description Aerial stems ca. 8mm wide. Leaves 20-50cm long, 5-11mm wide. Scapes 7-20cm tall, bracts 7-20cm long. Flowers inflorescences 8-10.5cm long, 5mm wide, 6 perianths each 1mm long, filaments 1.3mm long, flowering in April to May. Fruits 2.5mm across, seeds 2.2mm long. Perennial plants.
Reference Acorus gramineus Sol. ex Aiton
Acorus gramineus Soland extract for preventing and treating ischemic heart disease and pharmaceutical composition and health food containing the same (WIPO Patent WO/2005/120531)
Agent containing an ellagic acid series compound for external application and use thereof (US Patent 5073545/1981)
Volatile attractants for diabrotica species (US Patent 4880624/1989)
Herbal drug composition for the prevention and treatment of dementia (US Patent 6010702/2000)
Polynucleotides and polypeptides derived from corn ear (US Patent 6476212/2002)
Process for the preparation of pharmacologically active .alpha.-asarone from toxic .beta.-asarone rich acorus calamus oil (US Patent 6590127/2003)
Process for the preparation of substituted trans-cinnamaldehyde, a natural yellow dye, from phenylpropane derivatives (US Patent 6566557/2003)
Herbal compositions for prostate conditions (US Patent 6790464/2004)
Herbal composition for the prevention and treatment of dementia (US Patent 7083811/2006)
Method for detecting proteins under mutual interaction (US Patent 7122382/2006)
Transgenic expression of a phytochrome a gene (US Patent 7271004/2007)




April 2007
at Ibaraki Prefecture Botanical Garden
April 2007
at Ibaraki Prefecture
Botanical Garden
April 2007
at Ibaraki Prefecture Botanical Garden




April 2006
at Ushiku Forest Park
April 2006
at Ushiku Forest Park
April 2006
at Ushiku Forest Park