Herb: White Arrow Arum


Latin name: Peltandra sagittifolia


Synonyms: Peltandra alba, Peltandra glauca


Family: Araceae (Arum Family)



Edible parts of White Arrow Arum:

Root - must be well cooked in order to destroy an acrimonious principle, see the notes above on toxicity. The root contains much farinaceous material and can weigh up to 2.7 kilos each. Fruit. No more details but caution is advised - see the notes above on toxicity.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
15 cm
(6 inches)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Non-alluvial swamps, especially on acid soils, and in shallow water at the edges of ponds.

Propagation of White Arrow Arum:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in late summer in pots of soil that are submerged to their rims in water. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in trays of water in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Stem cuttings rooted in wet mud in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Non-alluvial swamps, especially on acid soils, and in shallow water at the edges of ponds.

Medicinal use of White Arrow Arum:

None known

Known hazards of Peltandra sagittifolia:

The plant is rich in calcium oxylate, this is toxic and if consumed makes the mouth and digestive tract feel as though hundreds of tiny needles are being stuck into it. However, calcium oxylate is easily destroyed by thoroughly cooking or drying the plant.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.