Practical
Plants

Peltandra sagittifolia

White Arrow Arum

a perennial member of the Peltandra genus in the family Araceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Araceae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.15 m
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[6].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - must be well cooked in order to destroy an acrimonious principle, see the notes above on toxicity[6]. The root contains much farinaceous material[1][2][3] and can weigh up to 2.7 kilos each[6]. Fruit[2]. No more details but caution is advised - see the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Root

Environment

Range
South-eastern N. America - North Carolina to Florida.
Habitat
Non-alluvial swamps, especially on acid soils[5], and in shallow water at the edges of ponds[1].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in late summer in pots of soil that are submerged to their rims in water[4]. 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[4]. 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[4].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a wet lime-free humus-rich soil by the side of water or in shallow still or slowly flowing water in a sunny position[4]. Plants are best grown in clumps[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Small. Manual of the Southeastern Flora.

    ↩

  6. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩1↩2↩3

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