Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Acorus americanus
Several-vein sweetflag, Sweet flag, Flag root
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Acorus calamus

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

  • Magnoliophyta

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, fibrous, rhizomes

Shoots: basal leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped leaf shape

Inflorescence: spadix

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; complete, regular; green; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: berry

Physiology: autotrophic; C3 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual, vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat:

ILPIN Notes: Seed company numbers: 1, 11 Regarding aquatic species food value, this pertains to aquatic furbearers. Form - roots planted in spring or fall at 1000/acre. In this species, the true spathe is absent, scape is prolonged and leaf-like; aromatic, especially the rhizome. Wilson, K. A. 1960. The genera of the Arales in the southeastern United States. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 41: 47-72. Roots and tender, young shoots are edible; root is also used in perfumes and medicines.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value: waterfowl: good; aquatic species: good

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 4
  • Chicago Area:

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