Araro
Maranta arundinacea Linn.
OBEDIENCE PLANT
| Other scientific names | Common names | |
| Maranta ramosissima Wall. | Araro (Tag.) | Galamaka (Bon.) |
| Araru (Ibn., It,, Tag.) | Sagu (Bik., Ilk.) | |
| Aroru (Tag.) | Arrowroot (Engl.) | |
| Aruru (Tag.) | Obedience plant (Engl.) | |
| Bai (Iv.) |
| Botany An ererct, smooth, dichotomously branched herbaceous plant growing to 1 - 2 meters, with thick, starchy rhizomes. Stems are slender. Leaf blades are lanceolate, attenuate-acuminate, 10 to 20 cm long, think petioled, rounded at the base. Inflorescence is terminal, lax, divaricate, and few-flowered. Flowers are white, about 2 cm long. Distribution Widely distributed, cultivated for its fleshy and starchy rhizomes. Parts utilized: Roots, rhizomes. Chemical constituents and properties Demulcent, nutritive. The starch is white, odorless, tasteless. Uses Folkloric Rhizomes produce the arrowroot starch. Preparation: Decoction from 2-3 tablespoonfuls of root powder in one liter of water, seasoned with honey, lemon or any variety of fruit juices to taste. Mashed roots as plaster applied to areas of insect stings. Roots also poulticed for poisoned wounds. Culinary Rhizomes are edible, boiled and roasted or ground and made into pastries. Starch is also used for starching clothes. Availability Wild-crafted. Cultivated for arrowroot starch. |
 |
 |
 |