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MARANTA ARUNDINACEA L. - ARROWROOT.
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Common name Ararao, araruta, arrowroot, Bermuda arrowroot, maranta starch, obedience plant, true arrowroot, West Indian arrowroot, pijlwortel, salepwortel, yaitu garut, aru-aru. Family Marantaceae (Prayer family). Overview Arrowroot is an herbaceous, tropical perennial plant, with a creeping rhizome, indigenous to the West Indian islands and Amazon rainforest. It has fleshy cylindrical tubers with rings of scars; these are leftovers of large thin scales. The stem reaches a height of 6 feet and has creamy white flowers at the end. It has numerous, ovate leaves, 2 to 10 inches, with long sheaths that often envelope the stem. Arrowroot grows for 6 - 12 months before harvest. The plant bears fruit; little berries or capsules. Maranta powder (Arrowroot spice) comes from the starch of the root. This high quality starch can be used as a thickener for sauces and gravies; it has a sweet taste. It thickens at a lower temperature than flour or cornstarch and is also used for making clear glazes for fruit pies. Starch is extracted from the rhizomes not older than a year and is white, odorless and tasteless. Suriname Traditional Medicine. The starch (25% of the plant) is used by the Amerindians as baby powder. This is a very light weight white powder that when applied to the skin, it gives a soft, silky smooth feel. Other uses are: as a remedy for (acute) diarrhea (in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)) patients. Arrowroot is not a refined product; but just the dried and powdered root. Might be used to handle scorpion stings, spider bites, snake bites and gangren (death of body tissue) in wounds. Also visit our Tincture page. Phytochemicals Beta-carotene, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin. Hardiness USDA zone 9 B - 11. Propagation Seeds and rhizome. Culture Needs full sun, partial shade, moist soil. Plant in frost free spots. |
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