Maranta arundinacea, also known as
arrowroot,
maranta,
West Indian arrowroot,
obedience plant,
Bermuda arrowroot,
araru,
ararao or
hulankeeriya, is a large,
perennial herb found in
rainforest habitats. It is cultivated for a
starch obtained from the
rhizomes (rootstock), which is called
arrowroot. The name 'Arrowroot' led many ayurveda doctors to use root stock of this plant instead of
Curcuma angustifolia ("tikhur" in
Hindi,"Koova" in Malayalam) a precious medicinal plant.