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Botanical Name:
Acorus calamus
Vaca consists of dried rhizome of Acarus calamus Linn,
Family Araceae
Common Name(s) in English & Indian Languages
Sanskrit: Ugragandhs, Ugrs, Sadgrantha
English: The Sweet Flag
Gujsrati: Ghoduvaj, Ghodvach
Hindi: Bach, Gora-bach
Kannada: Baje, Narru Berua
Malayalam: Vayambu
Marathi: Vaca, Vekhandas
Punjabi: Varch, Ghodavaca
Tamil: Vasambu, Pillai maruntho
Telugu: Vasa
Urdu: Waja-e-Turki
Botanical description:
Perennial semiaquatic herb of marshy places, with thickened
rhizomes. Rhizomes horizontal, frequently nodose, fibrous
roots at nodes. Leaves tufted, 70 cm long, 1-2 cm wide,
equitant, acuminate, ensiform, with a prominent midrib.
Peduncle and spathe a continuous leaf like unit bearing a
green spadix above the middle, spathe 20-40 cm long, 5-8 mm
wide. Spadix sessile, terete, densely flowered, 5 cm long.
Flowers bisexual; perianth 6-parted; the segments lanceolate,
3 mm long; stamens 6, carpels 1. Fruit berry, red,
ellipsoid.
Parts used:
Rhizome
Major chemical constituent:
Volatile Oil (principal constituents of the Volatile oil are
Asamyl alcohol, Eugenol and Asarone), also contains a bitter
principle Acorin (Glucoside), Starch and Tannin
Therapeutic uses:
• Pain (Sula)
• Epilepsy (Apasmara)
• Asthma (Svasa)
• Cough (Kasa)
• Constipation (Vibandha)
• Mania (Unmadha)
• Flatulance with gurgling sound (Adhmana)
• Otorrhoea (Karna Srava)
• Weak memory (Smrti daurbalya) |
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