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.
