AZAKEGERI, JUICE GRASS, SCENTED SAZ
ACORUS CALAMUS L
(Araceae-fam)
PLACES IT IS FOUND: It is found in the wild along streams and in swampy areas. It is widespread in the Atlantic regions of Asia and North America.
STRUCTURE: Perennial herbaceous plant. Rhizome creeping, long and thick, up to 150 cm high, brown outer part, pink, spotted and white inner part. Stem; upright, green, simple, three-sided flat and slightly grooved. Leaves come out of the rhizome and develop in a long sword-shaped bunch in the upper part of the stems. It is 20-60 cm high. Flowers; simple, 6 sections. Marginal flowers; yellow-green, dense, up to 12 cm long, in a cluster in a cob shape, grouped in a flower bunch. There is one flower bunch on each stem. Since these are covered with sheath leaves, they look like an extension of the stem. The whole plant releases a pleasant scent.
USED PARTS: Rhizome; is removed from the soil in spring; April-May or September-October. After the rhizomes are removed, they are peeled. They are divided into pieces of up to 10 cm. They are dried in the shade or in ovens at 40 degrees. The outer part of the dry plant is pale yellow, the inner part is white, with a pleasant smell. It has a bitter taste. % 12 humidity is allowed. It is packaged in paper bags or in bales. It is a sought-after plant.
When removing the rhizomes of the scented sedge, care should be taken not to confuse them with the root of the marsh lily (Iris pseudacorus L.). The latter are odorless, have rounded stems and flat leaves.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: It contains da-pinene, d-camphor, borneol, evgenol, methylevgenol, azarone, cariophylene, curcumen, gvayen, selinen, kalamen, kalokoren, isocaron, kalamendiol, caloren, proazulene and unexamined carbon content etheric oil. It contains bitter akoren glycoside, calamine alkaloid, tanning agents, vitamin C, starch, helme substances, resin etc. in the rhizomes. Tanning agents and etheric oil were found in the leaves.
IN WHICH DISEASES IS IT USED: It increases the sense of taste. It strengthens the gastric secretion separation reflector. It is used to increase appetite and facilitate digestion. It sometimes increases kidney and liver functions. It is also used as a bile stimulant and expectorant.
In folk medicine, it is recommended for stomach pain and heartburn, gas, diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, cirrhosis, irregular menstruation, etc. Externally, it is used as a mouthwash for toothache and gum bleeding. It is rubbed into the hair for hair loss. It is applied as a bath for rickets and scrofula. It is used in confectionery, beverage industry and cosmetics.
USAGE: Boil one coffee spoon of chopped rhizome in 300 gr. boiling water and wait for 2 hours. After straining with a clean cheesecloth, take one tea glass three times a day before meals. To accelerate hair growth, boil 3 tablespoons of chopped rhizome with 100 gr. vinegar for 15 minutes and apply the resulting liquid to the hair in the evening.
