arrowroot
Maranta arundinacea L.
Arrowroot’s familiar name belongs to a plant with an underground storehouse: fleshy rhizomes rich in starch. Singapore’s National Parks account describes these as cylindrical and usually whitish. They are processed into flour, while the upright leafy growth makes the species useful as an ornamental as well as a crop. NParks Flora & Fauna Web: Maranta arundinacea
Botanical name
Kew accepts Maranta arundinacea L. in Marantaceae, matching the catalog’s Linnaean species. Kew POWO: Maranta arundinacea
Recognizing the plant
The slender stems often branch near their tops. Broad, pointed leaf blades occur both near the base and farther up the stems; the basal leaves have conspicuous stalks, whereas stem leaves may lack them. Small white flowers occur in pairs beneath green bracts. Their corolla tubes curve and swell at the base. The small ellipsoid capsules are green or reddish-brown, enclosing brown, wrinkled seeds with a white appendage at one end. Flora of China, volume24 p.382: Maranta arundinacea
Bloom window
Cultivated plants in China
Flora of China records flowering from June through August. Flora of China, volume24 p.382: Maranta arundinacea
Native range
It is native from Mexico through tropical America. Kew describes it primarily as a plant of wet tropical environments, while Flora of China documents its cultivation far outside that original range, including southern China and Taiwan. Kew POWO: Maranta arundinaceaFlora of China, volume24 p.382: Maranta arundinacea
Ecological relationships
The flowers are mostly self-pollinating, according to Flora of China. Flora of China, volume24 p.382: Maranta arundinacea
Botanical sources
- Kew POWO: Maranta arundinacea
- NParks Flora & Fauna Web: Maranta arundinacea
- Flora of China, volume24 p.382: Maranta arundinacea
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.