Cal·a·mus n.; pl. Calami
 1. Bot. The indian cane, a plant of the Palm family. It furnishes the common rattan. See Rattan, and Dragon's blood.
 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.
 3. Zool. The horny basal portion of a feather; the barrel or quill.

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 calami
      See 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, sweet calamus, myrtle flag,
         flagroot, Acorus calamus]
      4: a genus of Sparidae [syn: genus Calamus]
      5: the hollow shaft of a feather [syn: quill, shaft]
      [also: calami (pl)]