Maranta arundinacea, also known as arrowroot maranta, West Indian arrowroot, obedience plant, Bermuda arrowroot, araru, ararao or hulankeeriya, is a large, perennial herb found in rainforest habitats. It is cultivated for a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock), which is called arrowroot. The name 'Arrowroot' lead many ayurveda doctors to use root stock of this plant instead of Curcuma angustifolia ("tikhur" in Hindi,"Koova" in Malayalam) a precious medicinal plant.