Calamus.

Water Calamus Characteristics:

Water Calamus is a perennial herb. The rhizome is transverse, slightly compressed, branched, 5-10 millimeters in diameter, with a yellow-brown, aromatic outer skin and numerous fleshy roots, 5-6 centimeters long, with hair-like fibrous roots. Leaves basal, basal sides of membranous leaf sheaths 4-5 mm wide, tapering upward to 1/3 of leaf length, gradually disappearing and falling off. Leaf blade sword-shaped linear, 90-150 cm long, 1-3 cm wide at the middle, broad and folded at the base, tapering above the middle, herbaceous, green, shiny; midrib conspicuously elevated on both surfaces, lateral veins 3-5 pairs, parallel, slender, mostly extending to the tip of the leaf.

Inflorescence stalks three-angled, 15-50 centimeters long; leafy spathes sword-shaped linear, 30-40 centimeters long; fleshy spikes obliquely upward or suberect, narrowly conical terete, 4.5-8 centimeters long, 6-12 millimeters in diameter. Flowers yellowish green, tepals ca. 2.5 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; filaments 2.5 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide; ovary long terete, 3 mm long, 1.25 mm thick. Berry oblong, red. Fl. 2-Sep.