Pharmacognostical evaluation of Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn.) rhizome

Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn.) is a significant drug described in the Ayurvedic literature with multidimensional applications and immense therapeutic potential. The plant is botanically identified as Acorus calamus Linn. belonging to the family Acoraceae. The commonly used part of the drug is rhizome. Pharmacognosy is the study of crude drugs obtained from natural sources. For quality assurance and authentication purposes, pharmacognosy is a useful tool for determining the genuineness of drugs by macroscopic and microscopic analysis. Macroscopic as well as microscopic characteristics of dried rhizomes of Acorus calamus Linn. were analysed in this work. The powder macroscopic and microscopic features of dried rhizomes were also examined.