The following notes apply to the species of this plant: Acorus gramineus Aiton, Acoraceae. Japanese sweet flag; grassy-leaved sweet flag. Rhizomatous perennial. Distribution: E. Himalaya to Japan and Philippines. The cultivar 'Oborozuki' has yellow leaves with green stripes. The rhizomes are aromatic. The European Acorus calumus is used to make a volatile oil which contains β-asarone as the major component. This is carcinogenic in animal studies and nephrotoxic and epileptogenic. Acorus gramineus is used medicinally throughout Asia and In the Philippines it has the same multiplicity of uses as A. calamus, including treatment of arthritis, lumbago, muscle pains, indigestion; toothache, as a tonic, to increase the appetite, haemorrhage, treat intestinal ulceration, used as a sedative, for tinnitus, deafness, poor memory, unconsciousness during a fever, for treating insanity, as an insecticide abscesses and scabies and to protect young children from getting flatus when someone compliments them on their appearance – a condition known as ‘usog’.

Extract of the rhizome showed insecticidal activity when sprayed on the painted bug Bagrada cruciferarum

Acorus gramineus Aiton, Acoraceae. Japanese sweet flag; grassy-leaved sweet flag. Rhizomatous perennial. Distribution: E. Himalaya to Japan and Philippines. The cultivar 'Oborozuki' has yellow leaves with green stripes. The rhizomes are aromatic. The European Acorus calumus is used to make a volatile oil which contains β-asarone as the major component. This is carcinogenic in animal studies and nephrotoxic and epileptogenic. Acorus gramineus is used medicinally throughout Asia and In the Philippines it has the same multiplicity of uses as A. calamus, including treatment of arthritis, lumbago, muscle pains, indigestion; toothache, as a tonic, to increase the appetite, haemorrhage, treat intestinal ulceration, used as a sedative, for tinnitus, deafness, poor memory, unconsciousness during a fever, for treating insanity, as an insecticide abscesses and scabies and to protect young children from getting flatus when someone compliments them on their appearance – a condition known as ‘usog’.