A tropical Asian plant with sword-shaped leaves whose fragrant root has been used in medicine, perfume, and religious ceremonies for thousands of years.
From Latin 'calamus,' borrowed from Greek 'kalamos' (reed), ultimately from Semitic roots; the plant was named for its tall reed-like appearance.
Calamus was so valuable to medieval apothecaries that it was called 'sweet flag,' and its rhizomes contain aromatic oils that have genuinely calming properties—the plant actually lives up to what ancient healers believed.
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