CALAMUS

calamus
    n 1: any tropical Asian palm of the genus Calamus; light tough
         stems are a source of rattan canes
    2: the aromatic root of the sweet flag used medicinally
    3: perennial marsh plant having swordlike leaves and aromatic
       roots [syn: {sweet flag}, {calamus}, {sweet calamus}, {myrtle
       flag}, {flagroot}, {Acorus calamus}]
    4: a genus of Sparidae [syn: {Calamus}, {genus Calamus}]
    5: the hollow spine of a feather [syn: {quill}, {calamus},
       {shaft}]
    

Calamus \Cal"a*mus\, n.; pl. {Calami}. [L., a reed. See {Halm}.]
   1. (Bot.) The indian cane, a plant of the Palm family. It
      furnishes the common rattan. See {Rattan}, and {Dragon's
      blood}.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Bot.) A species of {Acorus} ({Acorus calamus}), commonly
      called {calamus}, or {sweet flag}. The root has a pungent,
      aromatic taste, and is used in medicine as a stomachic;
      the leaves have an aromatic odor, and were formerly used
      instead of rushes to strew on floors.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Zool.) The horny basal portion of a feather; the barrel
      or quill.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Calamus
the Latin for cane, Hebrew _Kaneh_, mentioned (Ex. 30:23) as one
of the ingredients in the holy anointing oil, one of the sweet
scents (Cant. 4:14), and among the articles sold in the markets
of Tyre (Ezek. 27:19). The word designates an Oriental plant
called the "sweet flag," the Acorus calamus of Linnaeus. It is
elsewhere called "sweet cane" (Isa. 43:24; Jer. 6:20). It has an
aromatic smell, and when its knotted stalk is cut and dried and
reduced to powder, it forms an ingredient in the most precious
perfumes. It was not a native of Palestine, but was imported
from Arabia Felix or from India. It was probably that which is
now known in India by the name of "lemon grass" or "ginger
grass," the Andropogon schoenanthus. (See {CANE}.)
    

Calamus, IA (city, FIPS 9820)
  Location: 41.82665 N, 90.75967 W
  Population (1990): 379 (170 housing units)
  Area: 1.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
  Zip code(s): 52729
    

Calamus, IA -- U.S. city in Iowa
   Population (2000):    394
   Housing Units (2000): 173
   Land area (2000):     0.487306 sq. miles (1.262116 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.487306 sq. miles (1.262116 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            09820
   Located within:       Iowa (IA), FIPS 19
   Location:             41.826669 N, 90.759793 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     52729
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Calamus, IA
    Calamus