familyAcoraceae
genusAcorus
speciesAcorus americanus

Acorus americanus

(Rafinesque) Rafinesque

New Flora and Botany of North America 1: 57. 1836.

Sue A. Thompson
Common names: Sweet-flag belle-angélique
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Acorus calamus var. americanus Rafinesque Med. Fl. 1: 25. 1828
Synonyms: Acorus calamus var. americanus (Rafinesque) H. Wulff
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 22.

Leaves basally white with pink or red, otherwise bright green; major veins 2–6, ± equally raised above leaf surface; cross-section swollen in center, gradually tapering to ends. Vegetative leaves to 1.45 m; sheathing base (proximal part of leaf) 18.1–51.8 (–58.8) cm; distal part of leaf 31.2–88.6 (–100.4) × 0.3–1.2 cm, usually slightly longer to more than 2 times length of distal leaf, margins usually entire. Sympodial leaf (46–) 56.8–148 (–166.7) cm, usually equal to or slightly longer than vegetative leaves; sheathing base (20.9–) 25.3–74.1 (–100.2) cm; distal part of leaf (20.9–) 27.9–77.9 (–92.6) × 0.3–1.3 cm. Spadix 3.3–7.4 (–8.7) cm × 4.7–10 (–13.3) mm at anthesis; fruiting spadix 3.5–7.8 (–8.8) cm × 6.9–18.2 mm. Flowers 2–3 mm; pollen-grains usually deeply staining in aniline blue. Fruits obpyramidal, 4–6 mm. Seeds (1–) 6 (–14), tan, narrowly oblong to obovate, (2–) 3–4 mm. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–mid summer.
Habitat: Wet open areas, marshes, swales, and along edges of quiet water
Elevation: 0–900 m

Distribution

V22 42-distribution-map.jpg

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Alaska, Conn., D.C., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Vt., Va., Wash., Wis.

Discussion

Acorus americanus, a fertile diploid, occurs from northeastern United States across Canada and the northern plains. Specimens from central Siberia with similar leaf venation were examined, and the species is perhaps holarctic in distribution. Examination of additional material is necessary to determine if northern Asian diploid plants are conspecific with A. americanus. In North America, Native Americans probably played a significant role in the present-day distribution of A. americanus because sweet-flag rhizomes and plants were valued by many groups and were objects of trade. Disjunct populations occur in localities that are often near old Native American village sites or camping areas (M. R. Gilmore 1931).

Acorus americanus is susceptible to infection by Uromyces sparganii (Uredinales).

Selected References

Browne, E. T. Jr. and R. Athey. 1992. Vascular Plants of Kentucky: An Annotated Checklist. Lexington, Ky.

Duvall, M. R., G. H. Learn Jr., L. E. Eguiarte, and M. T. Clegg. 1993. Phylogenetic analysis of rbcL sequences identifies Acorus calamus as the primal extant monocotyledon. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90: 4641--4644.

Gilmore, M. R. 1931. Dispersal by Indians a factor in the extension of discontinuous distribution of certain species of native plants. Pap. Michigan Acad. Sci. 13: 89--94.

Röst, L. C. M. 1979. Biosystematic investigations with Acorus 4. Communication. A synthetic approach to the classification of the genus. Pl.anta Med. (Stuttgart) 37: 289--307.

Ray, T. S. 1987. Leaf types in the Araceae. Amer. J. Bot. 74: 1359--1372.

Wilson, K. A. 1960. The genera of the Arales in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 41: 47--72.

Lower Taxa

None.

"entire" is not a number.

... more about "Acorus americanus"
RDF feed
2n chromosome quantity
24 +
Anther coloration
yellow +
Anther dehiscence
introrse +
Apex shape
obtuse +
Author
Sue A. Thompson +
Authority
(Rafinesque) Rafinesque +
Axis shape
3-angled +
Base architecture or shape
sheathing +
Base atypical some measurement
74.1cm (100.2cm) +
Base some measurement
25.3 cm253 mm <br />0.253 m <br /> (74.1 cm741 mm <br />0.741 m <br />) +
Base structure subtype
2-facial +
Basionyms
Acorus calamus var. americanus +
Cataphyll presence
absent +
Common name
Sweet-flag +  and belle-angélique +
Cross-section shape
tapering +  and swollen +
Distal leaf architecture
sympodial +
Distribution
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Alaska +, Conn. +, D.C. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +  and Wis. +
Elevation
0–900 m +
Flower coloration
green +
Flower reproduction
bisexual +
Flower some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Fruit coloration
light-brown;reddish +
Fruit shape
obpyramidal +
Fruit some measurement
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Habitat
Wet open areas, marshes, swales, and along edges of quiet water +
Illustration copyright
Flora of North America Association +
Illustrator
John Myers +
Inflorescence architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Leaf architecture
sympodial +
Leaf arrangement
parallel +  and equitant +
Leaf atypical some measurement
148 cm1,480 mm <br />1.48 m <br /> (166.7 cm1,667 mm <br />1.667 m <br />) +
Leaf coloration
bright green +, , +  and white with pink or white with red +
Leaf length or size
slightly longer +
Leaf part atypical length
77.9 cm779 mm <br />0.779 m <br /> (92.6 cm926 mm <br />0.926 m <br />) +
Leaf part length
27.9 cm279 mm <br />0.279 m <br /> (77.9 cm779 mm <br />0.779 m <br />) +
Leaf part length or size
longer +
Leaf part shape
flattened +
Leaf part structure subtype
1-facial +
Leaf part width
0.3cm;1.3cm +
Leaf reproduction
vegetative +
Leaf shape
sword--shaped +
Leaf some measurement
56.8 cm568 mm <br />0.568 m <br /> (?) +  and 148 cm1,480 mm <br />1.48 m <br /> (?) +
Leaf variability
equal +
Median dehiscence or orientation
rather than transverse plane +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Oil odor
aromatic +
Pericarp texture
leathery +
Pericarp width
thin +
Phenology
Flowering late spring–mid summer. +
Publication title
New Flora and Botany of North America +
Publication year
1836 +
Reference
browne1992a +, duvall1993b +, gilmore1931a +, r1979a +, ray1987a +  and wilson1960b +
Rhizome architecture
branched +
Rhizome growth form or orientation
near surface +  and creeping +
Rhizome orientation
horizontal +
Seed atypical quantity
6 (14) +
Seed atypical some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Seed coloration
tan +
Seed quantity
6 +
Seed shape
narrowly oblong;obovate +
Seed some measurement
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Source xml
https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/62857cf6bca5c4637d27b113da92d27dbf9962f4/V22/V22 42.xml +
Spadix atypical length
7.4 cm74 mm <br />0.074 m <br /> (8.7 cm87 mm <br />0.087 m <br />) +
Spadix atypical width
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.33 cm13.3 mm <br />0.0133 m <br />) +
Spadix length
3.3 cm33 mm <br />0.033 m <br /> (7.4 cm74 mm <br />0.074 m <br />) +
Spadix shape
tapering +  and cylindric +
Spadix width
0.47 cm4.7 mm <br />0.0047 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Spathe derivation
true +
Spathe presence
absent +
Special status
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Stamen architecture
sessile +
Stamen architecture or structure in adjective form
(1-)3-locular +
Stamen fusion
distinct +
Stamen quantity
1 +  and 6 +
Stem growth form
repent +
Stigma architecture
sessile +
Stigma size
minute +
Streak coloration
darker +
Synonyms
Acorus calamus var. americanus +
Taxon family
Acoraceae +
Taxon name
Acorus americanus +
Taxon parent
Acorus +
Taxon rank
species +
Tepal coloration
light-brown +
Tepal quantity
6 +
Vein arrangement
parallel +
Vein prominence
prominent +
Vein quantity
2 (6) +
Vein size
major +
Volume
Volume 22 +
Whole organism duration
perennial +
Whole organism growth form
herb +
Whole organism habitat
banks +, stream +  and rocky +
Whole organism odor
aromatic +
X chromosome quantity
12 +