Can gladiolus corms be grown in water? For potted water culture, change the water often and give plenty of sunlight

Gladiolus is a common potted flowering plant in daily life. Earlier I introduced the growing methods and precautions for gladiolus; now let's look at how to grow potted gladiolus in water. The gladiolus people see most often is soil-grown, so can gladiolus corms be grown in water? Of course they can. Gladiolus can be grown not only in soil but also in water. Master the water-culture growing method, and the gladiolus you grow will be even more beautiful than roses.

1. Can gladiolus corms be grown in water? They can be grown in water or in soil

No matter what plant it is, if you want to grow it well, you have to start from the seed, and of course gladiolus is no exception. Many people think gladiolus corms can only be grown in soil, and do not know whether gladiolus corms can be grown in water. Gladiolus is a flowering plant that can be grown in water or in soil, so how do you grow potted gladiolus in water? I have made the following analysis:

1. Selecting the corms

How do you grow gladiolus in water? If you want water-grown gladiolus to grow well, you must start from the very beginning. When selecting the corms, you must buy selectively; the best ones are large and firm on the outside, because such bulbs have enough nutrients to meet the nutritional needs of gladiolus flowering.

2. Removing the old stems from the corms

Before water culture, clean off the aged stem pieces on top of the corm, then, on the part without scales, use a sharp blade to make a few cuts, which helps the gladiolus flower head grow out. Now it can be placed in the pot for water-growing gladiolus.

3. Watering

The water for growing gladiolus must be clean and hygienic, and the water level should be just 1 cm above the gladiolus corm. Finally, put the pot in a cool, shaded place and let the gladiolus soak for a period. Once tender shoots emerge, you can give it some sunlight.

4. Changing the water

In the first half month of water culture, you must insist on changing the water regularly every day; after that, changing it every other day is fine. You must ensure the water stays clean, otherwise the gladiolus roots will easily rot. Gladiolus with frequent water changes will grow especially well: the leaves will be very green, the flowers very brilliant, and the scent very fragrant. Now do you know how to grow gladiolus in water? Next let's look at the precautions for water-growing gladiolus.

2. Precautions for water-growing gladiolus

1. Temperature

To grow flowers, you must first understand the flower's living habits, and water-grown gladiolus is no exception. They very much like sunlight and sun exposure, and are afraid of severe cold climates, especially in winter, when a certain amount of daily sun exposure must be ensured. For their growth, the most suitable temperature is between 20°C and 25°C; at night the temperature is slightly lower, but it must still reach 10°C to 15°C. We must try our best to create a living environment for water-grown gladiolus that meets this temperature requirement.

2. Fertilizing

The flowering time of gladiolus varies quite a lot depending on the growing conditions. If you want to extend the flowering period of water-grown gladiolus, you can apply a little fertilizer, and you can also keep the temperature within the range most suitable for gladiolus growth; only then will it grow well.

3. Moderate watering

Watering should be moderate, following the principle of preferring dry over wet. Usually wipe dust from the leaf surface with clean water to keep the leaves clean and shiny. In spring, when new plants sprout at the root crown, water a little more to keep it moist. The above is the complete answer to whether gladiolus corms can be grown in water and how to grow potted gladiolus in water. I hope it helps you.

Acorus calamus (sweet flag) illustrated guide: how to grow Acorus calamus / how to propagate Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus

[Species name] Acorus calamus

[Pinyin] Chāngpú

[English name] calamus / flag / flagleaf

[Also known as] stinking Acorus calamus, water Acorus calamus, mud Acorus calamus, large-leaf Acorus calamus, white Acorus calamus

[Latin scientific name] AcoruscalamusLinn

[Family and genus classification] Araceae, Acorus

[Flower meaning] · mysterious person (because what is commonly called Acorus calamus actually includes many kinds, and these kinds also have different flower meanings. Therefore Acorus calamus is said to have a double flower meaning.)

[Morphological characteristics]

The LD50 of Acorus calamus oil injected intraperitoneally in rats is 221 mg/kg; within a few minutes, rapid and shallow breathing appears, followed by paroxysmal spasms and then tonic spasms, and finally death [5]. Intraperitoneal injection of the aqueous extract of the rhizome at 4 g/kg in mice has a sedative effect; the MLD of the alcohol extract is 4 g/kg, and the Ldloo is 8 g/kg. The variety Japanese Acorus calamus (A. Calamus L. var. Angustatus Buss.) causes gastroenteritis and diarrhea after poisoning.

Perennial aquatic herbaceous plant. Aromatic, with a horizontal rhizome, thick, slightly flattened, 0.5~2 cm in diameter, with many adventitious roots (fibrous roots). Leaves basal, blade sword-shaped and linear, 50~120 cm long, or longer, 1~3 cm wide in the middle, leaf base sheathing, clasping the stem, tapering below the middle, midrib obvious, both sides raised, with 3~5 parallel veins on each side; leaf base with a membranous leaf sheath, later falling off. Flower stem arising from the base, flattened triangular, 20~50 cm long, leaf-like spathe 20~40 cm long. Spadix upright or growing obliquely upward, cylindrical, yellow-green, 4~9 mm long, 6~12 cm in diameter; flowers bisexual, densely arranged, tepals 6, linear, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide; stamens 6, slightly longer than the tepals, filaments flattened, anthers pale yellow; ovary long cylindrical, 3 mm long, 1.2 mm in diameter, apex conical, style short, ovules numerous. Berry red, oblong, with 1~4 seeds. Flowering period June~September, fruiting period August~October.

Distributed across all parts of northern and southern China. Widely distributed in the world's temperate and subtropical zones. Grows in shallow-water areas along the banks of ponds and lakes, in swamps or pools. The most suitable growth temperature is 20~25°C; growth stops below 10°C. In winter it overwinters by having its underground stem sink into the mud.

Sexual reproduction is seed propagation. Clean the collected ripe red berries, sow them indoors in autumn, keep the soil moist or in shallow water, and under conditions of about 20°C they will germinate successively in early spring; then carry out separate cultivation, and when the seedlings grow strong they can be transplanted and planted out. Asexual reproduction is division propagation. In early spring (around Qingming) or during the growing season, dig out the underground stems with a shovel, wash them clean, remove old roots, stems and dead leaves and stems, then use a sharp knife to cut the underground stems into several blocks, keeping 3~4 new buds on each block, for propagation. During the growing season, carry out division planting: dig up the plant with its roots, wash it clean, remove 2/3 of the roots, then divide it into blocks; when dividing, keep the tender leaves, buds and new roots in good condition. For open-field cultivation, choose low-lying land by a pond; the planting spacing for small blocks is 20 m and for large blocks 50 m, but it must be based on the needs of the waterscape arrangement; planting methods such as band-shaped, rectangular and geometric can be used. The planting depth should keep the main bud close to the mud surface, while watering 1~3 cm. For pot cultivation, choose a watertight pot with an inner stem of 40~50 cm, apply enough base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot, dig a hole in the middle and plant the rhizome, with the growing point exposed above the soil surface, and add 1~3 cm of water. Acorus calamus has strong adaptability during the growing season and can be managed extensively. During the growing period, keep the water level or moisture, apply topdressing 2~3 times, and combine fertilizing with weeding. In the early stage, mainly use nitrogen fertilizer; before heading and flowering, mainly apply phosphate and potassium fertilizer; each time you fertilize, be sure to put the fertilizer into the mud (below 5 cm of the mud surface). Before overwintering, clean up the dead branches and fallen leaves of the aboveground part, and burn them in a concentrated pile or compost them. For open-field cultivation, renew every 2~3 years; for pot cultivation, replace and divide once every 2 years.

There are three plants, all abbreviated as Acorus calamus, such as Jie Acorus calamus, Shi Acorus calamus and Shui Acorus calamus. They come from different plants respectively, and their functions and indications are also different.

Jie Acorus calamus:

Also called Jiujie Acorus calamus and Acorus calamus. It comes from the dried rhizome of Anemone altaica Fisch. et C. A. Mey., a plant of the buttercup family. Warm in nature and pungent in taste; its effects are opening the orifices and transforming phlegm, awakening the spleen and calming the mind. Medicinal material traits: slightly spindle-shaped, slightly curved, 1~6 cm long, 3~7 mm in diameter. The surface is brownish yellow to dark brown, with many semi-annular raised nodes arranged alternately in a slanting direction; on the nodes there are scale leaf scars and dot-like raised root scars. Hard and brittle in texture; the fractured surface is granular, off-white, powdery, with pale yellow vascular bundle dots interrupted into a ring. Slight odor; taste slightly sour and numbing to the tongue.

Shi Acorus calamus:

It comes from the dried rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott, a plant of the Araceae family. Warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste; its effects are transforming dampness and opening the appetite, opening the orifices and clearing phlegm, refreshing the mind and improving intelligence. Medicinal material traits: flat cylindrical, often curved, often branched, 3~20 cm long, 0.3~1 cm in diameter; the surface is brownish brown, brownish red or grayish brown, rough, with unevenly dense nodes, with fine longitudinal wrinkles; on the upper side there are slightly triangular leaf scars arranged alternately left and right; on the lower side there are dot-like root scars or residual fibrous roots; at the nodes, hairy scale-like leaf base remnants are sometimes visible. Hard and brittle in texture; the fractured surface is fibrous, off-white or slightly red; the endodermal ring is obvious, and many scattered vascular bundle dots and brown oil dots can be seen. Aromatic odor; taste bitter and slightly pungent. Rhizome flat cylindrical, slightly curved, often branched, 3~20 cm long, 0.3~1 cm in diameter. The surface is brownish brown, brownish red or grayish yellow, rough, with many nodes.

Shui Acorus calamus:

Also called Tibetan Acorus calamus, it comes from the dried rhizome of Acorus calamus, a plant of the Araceae family. Warm in nature, bitter in taste; its effects are transforming phlegm and opening the orifices, strengthening the spleen and draining dampness. Medicinal material traits: resembles Shi Acorus calamus, but is thicker, with few branches, 1~1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is off-white to brownish red, the nodes are relatively sparse, and the internodes are 2~15 mm long. Hard in texture; the fractured surface is poorly fibrous, sponge-like, with many small cavities, and a slight muddy fishy odor. Rhizome flat cylindrical, rarely branched, 10~24 cm long, 1~1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is off-white to brownish red, with fine longitudinal striations; internodes 0.2~1.5 cm long; on the upper side there are sunken dot-like root scars, and brownish red hairy whiskers remain on the nodes. Hard in texture; the fractured surface is sponge-like, off-white or light brown; the transverse section has an obvious endodermal ring, with many small cavities and vascular bundle dots. The odor is relatively strong and distinctive; taste bitter and pungent.

[Identification of the three]

Take 1g of powder from each, soak in 10ml of diethyl ether for 20 minutes, spot the extract onto filter paper, and after drying observe under UV light (254nm): Anemone altaica rhizome shows light green fluorescence; Acorus tatarinowii shows purplish-red fluorescence; Acorus calamus shows blue-purple fluorescence. The three are most easily distinguished by the size of the medicinal material. Anemone altaica rhizome is thin, 0.3-0.7cm in diameter; Acorus tatarinowii is 0.3-1cm in diameter; Acorus calamus is the thickest, 1-1.5cm in diameter.

The leaves of Acorus are emerald green, dignified and elegant, and fragrant, suitable for waterside planting and water body landscaping. It can also be grown in pots for ornamental display or used as a backdrop. The leaves and inflorescences can also be used as cut flower material. It can be planted in shallow water or as a wetland plant. It is a major foliage plant in water gardens. The whole plant is aromatic and can be used as a fragrance or to repel mosquitoes; the stems and leaves can be used medicinally.

The rhizome is used medicinally. The rhizome is harvested from August to September, the stems, leaves and fine roots are removed, and it is sun-dried.

Nature and flavor: warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste.

Uses: It can eliminate foulness and open the orifices, diffuse qi and expel phlegm, detoxify, and kill parasites. It treats mania, convulsions, phlegm syncope and coma, wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, dysentery with lockjaw, and is applied externally for carbuncles, sores and scabies. It opens the orifices, resolves phlegm, and strengthens the stomach. It is used for epilepsy, phlegm-heat convulsions, chest and abdominal distension, and chronic bronchitis.

Chemical composition:

Contains α- and β-asarone, cis-methylisoeugenol, methyleugenol, cal-amendiol, acorenone, shyobunone, acorone, acoragermacrone, acolamone, isoacolamone, etc.

Dosage: 1-2 qian.

Sacred herb

The ancients also worshipped certain grasses, such as regarding Acorus of the Araceae family as a sacred herb. The Bencao · Acorus records: “The Dian Shu says: in the time of Yao, essence descended to the courtyard and became chives, and sensing the qi of a hundred yin it became Acorus, hence it is called Yao's chives. Alchemists conceal it as the water sword, because of the shape of its leaves.”

While worshipping it, people also personified Acorus, designating the 14th day of the 4th lunar month as the birthday of Acorus: “On the 14th day of the 4th month, the birthday of Acorus, trim the roots and leaves, and accumulate seawater to nourish it, then it will grow green and lush easily, and is especially good for clearing the eyes.” Precisely because of the divine nature of Acorus, together with its high ornamental value, for thousands of years it has been one of the important ornamental and bonsai plants in our country.

Insect repellence

Acorus is a spiritual herb in our country's traditional culture that can prevent epidemics and drive away evil, and together with orchid, narcissus and chrysanthemum it is called the “four elegant flowers and grasses.” Acorus awakens before all other grasses when the cold winter has just ended, and thus it got its name. Acorus “does not rely on the sun's color, nor on an inch of soil,” “endures bitter cold, and is content with simplicity”; growing in the wild it is full of vitality, rich and moist, and placed in the hall it stands gracefully, elegant and refined, and since ancient times it has deeply won people's affection. In Jiangnan, households hang Acorus and mugwort leaves on doors and windows at every Dragon Boat Festival, and drink Acorus wine, to ward off evil and epidemics; on summer and autumn nights, the custom of burning Acorus and mugwort leaves to drive away mosquitoes and kill insects is still kept today. Acorus has lush green sword-shaped leaves, dignified and elegant, and is an excellent choice for indoor potted ornament. Bonsai made with Acorus is both poetic and helps resist pollution. When the ancients read at night, they often placed a pot of Acorus under the oil lamp, because Acorus has the function of absorbing fine dust in the air, which can spare them the discomfort of lamp smoke stinging the eyes. Acorus is also an indispensable plant along the banks of ponds and lakes in our country's traditional garden landscaping.

Acorus is rugged by nature and highly adaptable, needing no special management to grow luxuriantly, and it rarely suffers from pests and diseases. In daily cultivation and propagation, division is mostly used; in early spring or during the growing season the rhizome can be dug out, old roots removed, a certain number of roots, young leaves and buds retained, and the stems divided into 5cm-10cm pieces. If planted waterside, they can be set at a spacing of 20cm-30cm, planted in fertile, soft soil, keeping the main bud close to the soil surface. For indoor ornament it is mostly grown hydroponically; as long as the clear water does not dry up, it can survive for decades without withering. When growing it, you can choose a medium-depth glass or other watertight container according to personal preference, placement location and plant size, wash the Acorus stem segments clean, remove old and overly long roots, soak for 2 hours in a potassium permanganate solution at a concentration of 2g/liter-3g/liter, then fix it in the container with pebbles, stones or coarse river sand, add water, and place it in a well-lit spot. In daily care, besides replenishing water in time, regularly add a little commercially available nutrient flower fertilizer or compound fertilizer to the water, and it will grow luxuriantly. Acorus is cold-hardy and needs no special care in winter; simply clear away dead branches and leaves. The ancients' method of cultivating Acorus was even more ingenious: “Plant it in sand, and by spring trim and wash it; the more you trim, the finer it grows, some with roots two or three fen long and leaves about an inch long.” Acorus is the flower representing the Dragon Boat Festival atmosphere; at the Dragon Boat Festival there is the custom in every household of inserting Acorus and mugwort leaves on the door, which can ward off evil and drive away pain. Using its straight-line leaves expresses the cool feeling of early summer. When giving it as a gift, you might choose three to four sprigs with clear, bright color and tie them into a bouquet.

Acorus not only has lush green leaves and roots like white jade, standing above the water by rocks, quiet and elegant, but its flowers and stems are strongly fragrant and have the effects of opening the orifices, expelling phlegm, and dispelling wind; it can ward off epidemics, benefit the intellect, and strengthen the body. Through the ages, Chinese medical classics have regarded the Acorus rhizome as a medicine for benefiting the intellect and soothing the chest, sharpening the ears and brightening the eyes, and removing dampness and detoxifying. Acorus is also an excellent “green pesticide.” After pounding 500 grams of Acorus rhizome, add 1kg-1.5kg of water and boil for two hours; the filtrate obtained, diluted with 3kg-6kg of water, can effectively control rice planthoppers, rice leafhoppers, rice stem borers, aphids, red spider mites and other pests.

Gladiolus, also known as sword lily, gladiola, shiyangjing, and bianzhulian, scientific name Gladiolus hybridus, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Gladiolus in the Iridaceae family, with corms.

Biological characteristics: Gladiolus is native to tropical Africa and the Mediterranean region. It prefers cool climatic conditions and fears severe heat and severe cold. It requires fertile, loose, moist, well-drained soil.

Morphological characteristics: Gladiolus plants are 40-150cm tall, each plant has 6-9 rigid straight leaves arranged in regular overlapping rows, 35-60cm long and 4-6cm wide, hard in texture, with sharply pointed leaf tips and 6-8 veins that are raised and prominent, in a parallel pattern.

The underground part of gladiolus has a corm, fibrous roots and contractile roots. The corm is a dormant organ. Planting one mother corm in spring can yield one or several new corms over 2cm in autumn. The corm is flat-round or oval, and its exterior is covered with 4-6 layers of brown membranous coating that protects the corm. The corm has 3-6 buds arranged in a straight line, with the middle one being the main bud and those beside it the lateral buds. Both the main bud and lateral buds can form new plants, and plants formed from lateral buds can also send up spikes and bloom. Around the base plate of the corm are distributed root primordia, which after sprouting form fibrous roots. When the plant has grown 3 leaves, a new corm begins to form on the mother corm, and on the new corm several new roots grow —— contractile roots. With the formation of the new corm and contractile roots, the mother corm and fibrous roots gradually shrink and dry up, and after the new corm has grown, cormels are borne between the new corm and the contractile roots. Because the size of the planting corm and the variety differ, the number of cormels borne also varies; the Dahongpao variety can bear as many as 50-70 cormels, while the Ziqixiangyun variety has only 4-8. Most cormels are oval or peach-shaped.

The flower stem of gladiolus is drawn out from the leaf cluster, a spike 30-75cm long, with each spike bearing 8-24 flowers, usually facing to one side and arranged in two rows; the corolla diameter is 8-16cm, the corolla gradually becomes smaller from bottom to top, and the flowers open gradually from bottom to top. The corolla tube is an expanded funnel shape, trumpet shape, bell shape, etc., slightly curved upward.

Acorus is a perennial herb belonging to the monocotyledons, 50-80cm tall, with basal, sword-shaped linear leaves, no petiole, green. It is slightly cold-tolerant and can overwinter in the open ground in East China. It can be planted in shallow water or used as a wetland plant. It is a major foliage plant in water gardens.

Acorus is divided into three kinds: Anemone altaica rhizome, Acorus tatarinowii and Acorus calamus. They come from different plants respectively, and their functions and indications also differ. Because the prices of the three medicinal materials on the market differ greatly, some medicine merchants sell the three Acorus types confused, and we should pay attention to distinguishing them when using them.

[Anemone altaica rhizome]

Also called jiujie Acorus and Acorus. It comes from the dried rhizome of the Ranunculaceae plant Anemone altaica. Warm in nature and pungent in taste, with the effects of opening the orifices and resolving phlegm, reviving the spleen and calming the spirit.

Medicinal material properties: slightly spindle-shaped, somewhat curved, 1-6cm long, 3-7mm in diameter. The surface is brownish-yellow to dark brown, with many semi-annular protruding nodes arranged obliquely and alternately; on the nodes are scale leaf scars and dot-like protruding root scars. Hard and brittle, the fractured surface is granular, off-white, powdery, with pale yellow small vascular bundle dots broken intermittently into a ring. Slight odor, taste slightly sour and numbing to the tongue.

[Acorus tatarinowii]

It comes from the dried rhizome of the Araceae plant Acorus tatarinowii. Warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, with the effects of resolving dampness and opening the appetite, opening the orifices and clearing phlegm, and reviving the spirit and benefiting the intellect.

Medicinal material properties: flat cylindrical, mostly curved, often branched, 3-20cm long, 0.3-1cm in diameter; surface brownish-brown, brownish-red or grayish-brown, rough, with nodes of uneven density, internodes 2-8mm long, with fine longitudinal wrinkles; on the upper side are slightly triangular leaf scars arranged alternately left and right; on the lower side are round dot-like root scars or residual fibrous roots; at the nodes there are sometimes residual hairy scale-like leaf bases. Hard and brittle, the fractured surface is fibrous, off-white or slightly red, the endodermal ring is obvious, and many scattered small vascular bundle dots and brown oil dots can be seen. Aromatic odor, taste bitter and slightly pungent.

[Acorus calamus]

Also called Tibetan Acorus, it comes from the dried rhizome of the Araceae plant Acorus calamus. Warm in nature, bitter in taste, with the effects of resolving phlegm and opening the orifices, and strengthening the spleen and draining dampness.

Medicinal material properties: shaped like Acorus tatarinowii, but thicker, with few branches, 1-1.5cm in diameter. The surface is off-white to brownish-red, the nodes are sparser, and the internodes are 2-15mm long. Hard in texture, the fractured surface is poorly fibrous, sponge-like, with many small cavities, and slightly muddy and fishy in odor.

The three are most easily distinguished by the size of the medicinal material. Anemone altaica rhizome is thin, 0.3-0.7cm in diameter; Acorus tatarinowii is 0.3-1cm in diameter; Acorus calamus is the thickest, 1-1.5cm in diameter.

[Chemical identification of the three]

Take 1g of powder from each, soak in 10ml of diethyl ether for 20 minutes, spot the extract onto filter paper, and after drying observe under UV light (254nm): Anemone altaica rhizome shows light green fluorescence; Acorus tatarinowii shows purplish-red fluorescence; Acorus calamus shows blue-purple fluorescence.

[Jiujie Acorus]

Also called Anemone altaica rhizome, the original plant is the Ranunculaceae plant Anemone altaica Fisch. et C. A. Mey., the rhizome is used medicinally, mainly produced in Shaanxi, and also produced in Henan and Shanxi.

[Identification of Acorus calamus and Acorus tatarinowii]

Acorus calamus

Rhizome flat cylindrical, rarely branched, 10-24cm long, 1-1.5cm in diameter. The surface is off-white to brownish-red, with fine longitudinal stripes; internodes 0.2-1.5cm long, on the upper side there are sunken round dot-like root scars, and on the nodes remain brownish-red hairy fibers. Hard in texture, the fractured surface is sponge-like, off-white or light brown; the transverse section shows an obvious endodermal ring, with many small cavities and small vascular bundle dots. Odor relatively strong and peculiar, taste bitter and pungent.

Acorus tatarinowii

Rhizome flat cylindrical, slightly curved, often branched, 3-20cm long, 0.3-1cm in diameter. The surface is brownish-brown, brownish-red or grayish-yellow, rough, with many nodes, internodes 0.2-0.8cm long; on the upper side are slightly flat-triangular leaf scars arranged alternately left and right, on the lower side are round dot-like root scars, and at the nodes there are sometimes residual hairy scale-like leaf bases. Hard and brittle, the fractured surface is fibrous, off-white or slightly red; the transverse section shows an obvious endodermal ring, and many small vascular bundle dots and brown oil dots can be seen. Aromatic odor, taste bitter and slightly pungent.

At the Dragon Boat Festival, besides wrapping zongzi and racing dragon boats, there are also some folk customs in various places. For example, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, every household hangs Acorus and mugwort leaves on the front door, and in some places people also drink realgar wine; it is said that doing so can drive away ghosts and ward off evil. In some places in Quanzhou, people also enjoy eating the five seeds, such as eggs, zongzi, garlic, scallions and duck. It is said that eating the five seeds on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival will bring good fortune.

Acorus (Acorus tatarinowii, stone centipede)

Characteristics and uses: A perennial herbaceous plant, the whole plant is aromatic. The leaves emerge from the rhizome, linear, arranged in two rows, 30-50cm long. The leaf base has a groove, and they overlap each other. The flowers are very small, densely gathered into a corncob-like spadix, and the fruit is a berry. It prefers to grow in swamps, ditchesides and lakesides. It is mostly produced in the provinces south of the Yangtze River. The whole plant is used medicinally, mainly treating enteritis, rotten gills and red-skin disease.

Method of use: To treat enteritis, rotten gills and red-skin disease, use 4-5kg of chopped Acorus and 4-5kg of castor leaves per mu of water surface, wrap them in about 10kg of pine branches and leaves, tie into 2-3 bundles, place at the feeding site and at the upwind water inlet, immerse in the water, turn once every day to let them rot, and at the same time orally administer white poplar leaves daily (1-1.5kg per ten thousand fish fry) for 6 consecutive days. Or grind the medicine into a pulp and splash it into the water. To treat saprolegniasis, use 1.3-2.5kg of Acorus per mu of water surface, add 0.5-1kg of salt and 2-5kg of human urine, and splash over the whole pond.