Arrowroot

Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes of several tropical plants, traditionally Maranta arundinacea, but also Florida arrowroot from Zamia integrifolia, and tapioca from cassava (Manihot esculenta), which is often labeled arrowroot. Polynesian arrowroot or pia (Tacca leontopetaloides), from Palawan-Philippines arrowroot ("uraro/araro"), and Japanese arrowroot (Pueraria lobata), also called kudzu, are used in similar ways. In India, it is called palua. Archaeological studies in the Americas show evidence of arrowroot cultivation as early as 7,000 years ago. The name may come from aru-aru (meal of meals) in the language of the Caribbean Arawak people, for whom the plant was a staple.[citation needed] It has also been suggested that the name comes from arrowroot's use in treating poison-arrow wounds, as it draws out the poison when applied to the site of the injury. In the early days of carbonless copy paper, arrowroot, because of its fine grain-size, was a widely used ingredient. After an economical way of centrifugally separating wheat flour was devised, arrowroot lost its role in papermaking.

Source: Wikipedia