arrowroot, any plant of the genus Maranta, usually large perennial herbs, of the family Marantaceae, found chiefly in warm, swampy forest habitats of the Americas and sometimes cultivated for their ornamental leaves. The term arrowroot is also used for the easily digestible starch obtained from the rhizomes of M. arundinacea, the true, or West Indian, arrowroot, which is naturalized in Florida. Other plants produce similar starches, e.g., East Indian arrowroot (from Curcuma angustifolia of the Zingiberaceae, or ginger family), Queensland arrowroot (from a canna of the family Cannaceae), Brazilian arrowroot, or tapioca, of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family), and Florida arrowroot, or sago. True arrowroot is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Zingiberales, family Marantaceae.

Any of several plant species of the genus Maranta (family Marantaceae), whose rhizomes yield an edible starch. Chief among these is the herbaceous perennial M. arundinacea, the source of genuine, or West Indies, arrowroot. The powder obtained from the harvested roots is almost pure starch; it is used in cookery as a thickener. Arrowroot is easily digested and is used in diets requiring bland, low-salt, and low-protein foods. Its name is sometimes applied to starches obtained from other plants and used as substitutes for true arrowroot. Brazilian arrowroot, from the cassava plant, is the source of tapioca.

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