Ayr marsh - acorus calamus l.

Family Aroid - Araceae

Botanical characteristics. Perennial herbaceous plant. It grows along the banks of rivers and lakes, in swamps.

Rhizome thick, creeping, inside spongy, externally yellowish-green, with numerous accessory roots. Flower stem straight, ribbed with groove. The flowers are collected in a cylindrical cob, which deviates from the stem. Has a covering sheet, which is a continuation of the stem. The flowers are green-yellow, consisting of six membranous leaves. Fruit is a dry red berry. The fruit often does not ripen, it grows vegetatively. Blooms in May - June. Plant of a spicy-bitter taste, aromatic.

Spread. Air grows in low places along the banks of rivers, lakes, marshes. Distributed on most of the European territory of Russia, Siberia and the Far East.

Used parts of the plant. The medicinal raw material is the rhizome. It is collected in the autumn, washed, crushed, kneaded and quickly dried, as the raw material quickly molds. Store in a dry place, closed jars with a lid.

Chemical composition. The rhizome contains an essential oil that gives the raw material a peculiar smell. Its composition includes terpenes (pinene, camphene, borneol, camphor), sesquiterpenoids (element, kalamene), ketones, phenolic compounds, glycosides, tannins, phytoncides, vitamins, trace elements, carbohydrates, gum, resins.

Application. Rhizomes have an antispasmodic, antimicrobial, disinfectant effect.

As a medicinal plant, ayr has been known for a very long time. It is used in folk medicine in the form of decoctions of roots to improve appetite, with gout, rickets, dropsy, malaria, heartburn, cough, breast diseases, cramps; Rhizomes were chewed during the epidemic of cholera, influenza, typhus; Washed with decoctions of festering wounds, used for toothache.

In scientific medicine, preparations from the rhizome are used for gastritis with a decreased secretory function, cholecystitis, bladder and kidney diseases, as an expectorant, carminative, with colic, as a disinfectant. Air is a part of the drugs "Vikalin", "Vikair", used in the treatment of stomach and duodenum ulcers. Air oil is a part of the preparation "Olimetin", used for the prevention and treatment of renal and stone and cholelithiasis. Recently, there have been reports in the literature that the root of aira is used in the complex treatment of papillomatous cancer and prostatitis; Fresh root juice is recommended for use in the form of drops in the dilution (1:10) for the treatment of various eye diseases: inflammation and retinal detachment, decreased vision and scotoma (lateral vision), and decoction of the roots has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, improves sleep, nourishes the brain cells .

Powder from the rhizome sprinkled with festering wounds and sores. Decoction of the root of ara is used to strengthen the gums and teeth, as well as the growth and strengthening of the hair. Often it is used with burdock roots in equal proportions.

Air has great significance in nature: it purifies water in reservoirs, is a food for muskrat and beaver.

The rhizome is widely used in liqueur production, when preserving vegetables and fruits, in perfumery, and also for obtaining starch. Folk remedy for fighting insects.

Preparation

• To prepare the broth take 15 g of ground roots, pour 200 ml of boiling water, heated in a boiling bath for 30 minutes, cool 10 minutes, filter, bring to 200 ml. Take 2 tbsp. Spoon 3-4 times a day after meals.
  For external use, the concentration is increased by a factor of 1.5-2.
• In summer, you can use the fresh juice of the whole plant, which is an effective means for hair loss, is used to rinse the mouth to strengthen the teeth, remove unpleasant odor, with diseases of the mouth. To this end, the medicine is prepared as follows: the squeezed juice from a fresh plant is diluted 1: 1 with boiling water, brought to a boil, cooled, filtered, stored for no more than 2 days. Inside take 1 teaspoon 3-4 times a day before meals.
• A stick of rhizome is prepared as follows: 1 tbsp. L. Finely chopped dry rhizomes pour 1 glass of 70% alcohol and insist in a dark place for 2 weeks. Filter and take 15 to 20 drops 3 times a day with milk after meals with stomach pain. For lotions use a solution: 1 tsp. Tincture in 100 ml of water. They treat them with purulent wounds or ulcers.
• Adjust the stems are as follows: 1 tbsp. L. Crushed stems pour a glass of boiling water and insist 30 minutes, and then filter and take 1 tbsp. L. 3 times a day before meals with exhaustion, irregular menstruation, inflammatory diseases of the female sexual sphere.

Use of marsh in the diet

Of the leaves that depart from the rhizome, prepare a fragrant jam. The rhizome of calamus can replace cinnamon, nutmeg or pepper and is used as an original and spicy seasoning.

Salad of leaves

Select the inner young leaves of the aura and finely chop them. Add onions and sour cream, salt. Season with syrup or jelly, cooked on chicken broth.

Candied fruits from roots

In a thick syrup, fresh roots of the ara are laid, split into 4 parts and cut into pieces 3 to 4 cm long, boiled for 5-10 minutes. Take it out of the syrup and dry it in the air. Stack for storage in glass jars, previously sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Pancakes made from leaves

In the dough, prepared for baking pancakes, add powder from the dry leaves of ara. It is thoroughly beaten and baked in vegetable oil. Pancakes are served with sour cream or syrup.

Decoction for flavoring dishes

1 tbsp. L. Rhizomes of air, crushed into powder, pour 1 liter of boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes and insist for 24 hours. Used for flavoring buns, salads, first courses.

Kvas with decoction of roots

Prepare kvass in the usual way from bread crumbs or stale black bread. For 1 liter of kvass add a glass of broth from the roots of the ayr. Sugar or honey to taste.

Contraindications. The root of ara can not be taken during pregnancy.