Guinea arrowroot
Calathea allouia

Family: Marantaceae

What it is like

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1.5 m high. It has an underground rhizome or stem. There are several large leaves. The leaf is oblong and 20-60 cm long by 5-20 cm wide. The flowering stalk is 5-10 cm long. The flowers are in a spiral. They are white. The underground tubers are 1-5 cm long and 0.5-3 cm wide. They can be larger. They are covered with a yellowish-grey paper like skin. The tubers develop at the ends of the fibrous roots.

Tubers are 6.6% protein on a dry matter basis. There are 260-300 Calathea species in tropical America.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It requires a hot, even temperature. It does best with temperatures between 25-30°C. It needs a moderate rainfall. (1500-2000 mm). When there is plenty of humidity, nutrients and good soil drainage, plants do best in full sunlight. It is often grown in shade. They need soils rich in organic matter. In SE Asia it probably grows up to 600 m altitude. In Guatemala it grows to 1,400 m above sea level. Brisbane Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Amazon, Antilles, Asia, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guiana, Guyana, Haiti, Hispaniola, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Indies

How it is used for food

The tubers are cooked and eaten. It is used in salads, stews and fish dishes. Young flower clusters are cooked and eaten. The leaves are used to wrap food to add flavour.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. They are sold in street markets.

Edible parts

Tubers, root, rhizome, flowers, leaves - flavour, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from rhizomes, suckers or offshoots. Plants only occasionally flower and do not produce viable seed. The tuberous roots are stored in a coo, dry place until they are transplanted. Plants are spaced about 0.5 m apart. The rhizomes produce about 20 shoots around them.

A crop of tubers is ready 10-12 months after planting. Yields of 10 tonnes per hectare are possible. Yields per plant vary between 100 and 2,200 g.

Its other names

Local names

Agua bendita, Allelouia, Alleluia, Alluia, Aria, Chufle, Cocurito, Curcuma d'Amerique, Dale dale, Dali dali, Guinea arrowroot, Lairem, Laren, Leren, Lerenes, Lleren, Sweet corn root, Sweet corn tuber, Sweet-corm-root, Toompinanpur, Topee Tambu, Topi-tambu, Topinambour, Sehui

Synonyms

Maranta allouia Aubl.; Phrynium allouia Aubl.; Also as Allouya americana (Lamk.); Curcuma americana Lamk.;