Arrowroot
Maranta arundinacea
Arrowroot family (Marantaceae)
7000 years a food crop
Arrowroot is an herbaceous perennial that grows up to 150 cm. Stems and leaves die back at the end of each growing season. In the spring the plant reappears from the underground, tuberous rhizomes. The native range of Maranta arundinacea is Central and South America but is also grown in Australia, Southeast Asia and Africa.
Starch is extracted from the roots and sold as ‘arrowroot’. It is widely used an ingredient in biscuits, puddings, cakes and broths. In the Caribbean the indigenous population have been growing the plant as a food crop for 7,000 years; they call it aruaru. A paste made of finely mashed roots can be applied to wounds and insect bites.
Themes
The root - raw or cooked - is the source of a high quality edible starch, obtained by grinding the root into a fine powder. This highly digestible starch is used in pastries, biscuits etc, and is preferred to flour for thickening soups, sauces and gravies. Unlike flour, it does not add a mealy taste.
Easily digested, it is of benefit to convalescents and those with weak digestions, helping to relieve acidity, indigestion and colic. It is mildly laxative. An infusion of the root has traditionally been used to treat urinary infections. The root also been used as an antidote for poison. The powdered root has been used as an ointment or poultice, especially combined with an antiseptic herb such as myrrh (Commiphora spp.). The powdered root has traditionally been made into a poultice for treating smallpox sores.
The starch obtained from the root is also used as a base for face powders and in certain types of glue.
Details
| Description: | Herb, about 1.2 metres tall. |
|---|---|
| Distributions: | Northern and western south america. |
| Habitat: | Moist floors of evergreen or deciduous forests, often in clearings where light levels are relatively high. |
| Year cycle: | Perennial (polycarpic decidous) |
| Hardiness: | 34 - 41 f (tender - cool or frost-free glasshouse) |
| Flowering period: | Juni - november |
| Flower color: | White |
| Fruit color: | Green |
| Notes on fruits: | Green or tinged red-brown. little berries. |