Woodcut illustration of Calamus aromatico, 1566. Acorus calamus, commonly known as Sweet Flag or Calamus is a tall perennial wetland monocot of the Acoraceae family, in the genus Acorus, an herbaceous, perennial, aromatic, flag-like plant. The scented leaves and more strongly scented rhizomes have traditionally been used medicinally and to make fragrances, and the dried and powdered rhizome has been used as a substitute for ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sweet flag has a very long history of medicinal use in Chinese and Indian herbal traditions. It is widely employed in modern herbal medicine as its sedative, laxative, diuretic, and carminative properties.It is used in Ayurveda to counter the side effects of all hallucinogens. Sweet Flag is one of the most widely and frequently used herbal medicines amongst the Chipewyan people. Uses in witchcraft and magic: incense for white magic and a sun herb.