arrowroot

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• arrowroot
• fire-flag
• Fireflag
• alligator flag
• bent alligator-flag

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Renealmia geniculata
• Maranta geniculata
• Thalia caerulea
• Thalia angustifolia
• Thalia dipetala
• Thalia divaricata
• Thalia erecta
• Thalia geniculata var. pubescens
• Thalia geniculata f. rheumoides
• Thalia trichocalyx
• Thalia welwitschii
• Maranta flexuosa
• Thalia schumanniana

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Thalia geniculata, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified within the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae, falling under the order Zingiberales. Finally, it is a member of the family Marantaceae within the genus Thalia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across the diverse landscapes of West Tropical Africa. Its presence is officially documented in the nation of Benin, where it thrives in local ecosystems. Additionally, it can be found throughout the territories of Burkina and Ghana. The species also extends its range into Guinea-Bissau, contributing to its regional prevalence. Finally, its geographical footprint includes the country of Guinea, marking a significant portion of its western habitat.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Thalia geniculata is characterized by its preference for aquatic vegetation (Vegetação Aquática) habitats, where it thrives in wetland environments. This species is distributed across a broad altitudinal gradient, occupying ecological niches from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum elevation of 1000 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Vegetação Aquática

Life history

The life history of Thalia geniculata is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its biological structure and survival strategy, it is classified as a geophyte, meaning it relies on underground storage organs to endure unfavorable environmental conditions. Furthermore, its growth habit identifies it as a cryptophyte, a classification that emphasizes its reliance on protected, non-aerial parts for survival during dormant periods.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

Morphologically, Thalia geniculata is characterized as a non-woody herb and forb that exhibits a self-supporting growth habit rather than functioning as a vine or liana. It is a terrestrial plant that operates independently, lacking any parasitic tendencies. The plant typically reaches a height ranging from a mean of 3 m, with a recorded maximum height of up to 2 m depending on environmental conditions. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, maintaining its structure as a self-supporting, non-woody herbaceous organism.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height mean:

3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Thalia geniculata is characterized by specialized metabolic processes adapted to its aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats, focusing on efficient nutrient uptake and gas exchange in saturated environments. Its metabolic framework supports robust vegetative growth through the assimilation of essential minerals and organic compounds from the surrounding water and sediment. Regarding its symbiotic capabilities, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized root nodules or biological mechanisms required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms; instead, it relies entirely on the absorption of nitrates and ammonium available in its substrate. The plant utilizes aerenchyma tissue to facilitate internal oxygen transport to submerged parts, ensuring cellular respiration continues even under hypoxic conditions, while its photosynthetic pathways are optimized to manage high transpiration rates and light availability in wetland ecosystems.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Thalia geniculata is characterized by a specific flowering phenology and distinct seed morphology. The plant's flowering period is highly variable, though data indicates that the flowering cycle typically encompasses the month of October. The resulting seeds exhibit measurable variation in weight, with a mean seed mass of approximately 0.06492 g. Within the seed population, the mass ranges from a minimum of 0.0493 g to a maximum of 0.08054 g, reflecting a specific scale of reproductive output for the species.

Flowering time :

Oct

Seed mass max:

0.08054 g

Seed mass mean:

0.06492 g

Seed mass min:

0.0493 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Thalia geniculata has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include rhizome.

Rhizome

1. Research in pharmaceutical sciences

Chemicals

Thalia geniculata has 22 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include IRON, STARCH, Ash, CALCIUM, CHLOROGENIC ACID.

IRON

1. Dr. Duke
2. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

STARCH

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of food science

Ash

1. Dr. Duke

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke

FAT

1. Dr. Duke

Lignans

1. Dr. Duke

PHOSPHORUS

1. Dr. Duke

Phloretic acid

1. Dr. Duke

SYRINGIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Thalia geniculata has 373 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include 11B-HSD-Inhibitor, 5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor, ATPase-Inhibitor, Absorbent, Acidulant.

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ATPase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Absorbent

1. Dr. Duke

Acidulant

1. Dr. Duke

Aldehyde-Oxidase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allelochemic

1. Dr. Duke

Allelopathic

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Preparations

Thalia geniculata has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include dietary fibers of Canna eduledis and Maranta arundinacea rhizomes.

Dietary fibers of canna eduledis and maranta arundinacea rhizomes

1. Research in pharmaceutical sciences