Japanese name: セキショウ（石菖） Scientific name:Acorus gramineus
[Overview]
An evergreen perennial 10–30 cm tall, growing in colonies on rocky riverbanks, in ditches, along the edges of streams and similar places.
It branches often and has fragrant rhizomes.
Leaves are alternate in two ranks and erect.
The leaves are linear, 30–50 cm long and 0.2–0.8 cm wide, with an indistinct midrib.
A flower stalk emerges from among the leaves and bears a spadix 5–10 cm long at its tip.
The flowers are small and densely set on the spadix, each with six pale yellowish-green tepals.
The fruit is green and is a berry that becomes somewhat dry and looks capsule-like.
[Uses]
The dried rhizome is used as a crude drug.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
For seed, sow in a wet place so that the seeds do not dry out.
It prefers sun to partial shade and soil that is rich in organic matter and holds water well.
For potted plants, take care not to let it run out of water, and water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
A small amount of base fertilizer is enough, and nothing more is particularly needed.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
