Botanical Name: Maranta arundinacea Linn.
Family: Marantaceae
Names in different Indian languages
| English | Arrowroot. |
|---|---|
| Hindi | |
| Kannada | Kuvehittu, tavaskiri |
| Malayalam | Kuva |
| Sanskrit | Tavasksiri, tugaksiri |
| Tamil | Koovaikizhangu, Kookaineer |
| Telugu | Palagunta |
| Unani | |
| Folk |
Arrowroot is a perennial plant growing to a height of between 0.3 m (1 ft) and 1.5 m (5 ft). Its leaves are lanceolate. The edible part of the plant is the rhizome. Twin clusters of small white flowers bloom about 90 days after planting. The plant rarely produces seed and reproduction is typically by planting part of a rhizome with a bud. Rhizomes are ready for harvesting 10–12 months after planting as leaves of the plant begin to wilt and die. The rhizomes are fleshy, cylindrical, and grow from 20 cm (8 in) to 45 cm (18 in) long.
The arrowroot plant probably originated in the Amazon rainforest of north-western Brazil and neighboring countries. It grows best between temperatures of 23 °C (73 °F) and 29 °C (84 °F) with annual precipitation between 150 cm (59 in) and 200 cm (79 in). The dormant rhizomes can withstand temperatures as low as 5 °C (41 °F).