Acorus is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the family of araic (Acoraceae). It is also called grassy calamus or gramineus. It spread throughout the world from East Asia (Japan and Indochina). It is found throughout Eurasia and North America. The plant prefers flooded soil, so aquarium lovers are sympathetic to it. However, with constant immersion in water, the acorus changes the balance of the aquarium and loses its decorative properties.
Botanical properties
Acorus can be found in the Caucasus, Central and East Asia, as well as in Siberia. He prefers muddy soils near streams or fresh water bodies. Often forms dense thickets near wetlands.
Acorus is a bunch of narrow leaves that grow from the ground in small islands. A close examination reveals a fan-shaped leaf outlet. The length of the leaves in the culture can reach 40 cm, and the width does not exceed 5 cm. In the wild, there are cases when calamus rose 1-1.5 m up. Leaf plates are flat with a hard, sinewy surface. They differ in saturated green shades, sometimes there are white or yellowish longitudinal stripes.
The rhizome of grass calamus is branched, creeping, with many buds. In some places, the root thickness can be 4 cm.
During the flowering period (from May to July), an inflorescence is formed in the form of a small, uncovered cob with small yellow and green flowers. During the season, fruits rarely have time to ripen in our latitudes, therefore, reproduction occurs by dividing the root.
Varieties
Botanists distinguish about 6 species of acorus, but only a few of them are most often found in culture.
Acorus calamus (marsh or common). It is the original species common in Asia and North America. The roots of this variety have healing properties.
Acorus is hairless. An elegant plant with a height of up to 20 cm. The width of the leaves does not exceed 1 cm. The greens are light, plain. It grows off the coast of fresh water and does not tolerate complete immersion in water. In order for the acorus in the aquarium to feel good, you need to create a mound or put the pot on a small pedestal. Only the roots should be in the water, otherwise in a few months you will have to buy a new plant.
Acorus is cereal. Decorative, undersized form. The height of the bush does not exceed 15 cm. It is able to take root in pots with limited watering as a houseplant. Inflorescences do not release, propagated only by dividing the rhizome. Breeders bred several varieties based on acorus cereal:
- striped (albovariegatus) has white stripes along the edges of the leaf;
- aureovariegatus - characterized by bright yellow longitudinal stripes;
- ogon - undersized variety with creamy longitudinal stripes;
- pusicus - has the most elegant sizes, its length does not exceed 10 cm.
Acorus propagation
Since acorus seeds rarely ripen, it is almost impossible to propagate it by seed in a culture. It is much easier to take part of the rhizome with the root kidney and transplant it to a new place. Delenki try not to keep for a long time in the air and cover a little with soil in a new place. No extra care is required. In comfortable conditions, the plant quickly takes root and starts growing.
Reproduction and transplantation of adult plants is performed in the spring, as necessary. An ideal substrate would be a slightly acidic substance similar to marshy soil. Well, if you can mix river sludge, peat and coarse sand. If sludge is not possible, it is replaced with turf or hydroponics.
Care Rules
Acorus is very unpretentious, it is enough to choose the right place for future thickets, and it will delight the owners with lush, juicy greens, which are often depicted in the photo of the acorus. Air prefers cool, shaded areas. The bright sun can burn delicate greens. However, in a too dark room, the leaves become thinner and stretch very much. In this case, a special lamp will help.
It is advisable to choose a place where the air temperature does not exceed +22 ° C. In winter, the plant feels good when cooling down to +15 ° C, but lower temperatures will not cause serious damage. There are cases when the acorus suffered frosts to -35 ° C. Also, do not worry about strong drafts or night cooling.
Watering the bushes should be plentiful, not allowing the complete drying of the soil. In hot weather, moisten the soil daily. Air is also preferable moist, otherwise the leaves will begin to dry. Indoors, it is better to avoid the proximity of heating sources. Aquariums will be the best place for calamus. Vapors will not allow the leaves to dry.
So that the acorus does not take up all the free space in the aquarium, it needs to be fed very moderately. But completely abandoning fertilizers is not recommended. Once every 1-1.5 months, a portion of mineral fertilizers is applied.
Pruning this herb does not need. It is recommended to periodically remove dried greens, you can wipe the leaves with a damp sponge to remove dust.
Possible problems
The main problem of acorus is the lack of watering or dry air. In this case, the leaves begin to brown at the ends and gradually dry. Also, direct sunlight can cause a burn.
Occasionally, a small cobweb can be found on the plant. This indicates infection with a spider mite. If a problem is detected, immediately treat the bush with a special preparation so that the insects do not completely destroy the acorus.
Application
Grassy acorns are used to formulate water compositions or decorate swampy ponds. You can use plant bunches to decorate terrariums. Acorus requires frequent updates. Within a few months, the foliage completely dissolves or dries. New shoots appear from the basal bud and the life cycle repeats.
In addition to decorative qualities, Acorus has healing properties. Its root has long been used by Indian healers. Later, healing properties were confirmed in Western Europe. Decoction from calamus root helps get rid of stomach pains and digestive disorders. Calamus tincture has a stimulating and invigorating effect. Sometimes it is used to combat sexually transmitted and some infectious diseases.
When cutting a fresh root, you can feel a pleasant aroma, so the roots of the plant are popular in the perfume and cosmetics industries. In oriental cuisine, dried and ground root is used as an additive to meat dishes and pastries.
