Arrowroot has a long history of use by the Arawak, the Taíno, the Nepoya, the Maya and various other indigenous peoples of South America and the Caribbean. The name for this tropical plant comes from the traditional use of the herb by these tribes to treat wounds inflicted by arrows.
Although arrowroot is native to Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, and naturalized in parts of Florida, the herb is cultivated and harvested to produce arrowroot starch in Australia, Africa, the West Indies and Southeast Asia.
AN EDIBLE STARCH USED AS A THICKENER AND ABSORBING AGENT