Thalia geniculata

For other uses, see Arrowroot (disambiguation).

Thalia geniculata, the bent alligator-flag,^[3] arrowroot,^[4] or fire-flag,^[4] is a plant species widespread across tropical Africa and much of the Americas.

Thalia geniculata
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Marantaceae
Genus:	Thalia
Species:	T. geniculata
Binomial name
Thalia geniculata L., Sp. Pl., 2: 1193, 1753
Synonyms[2]
Maranta arundinacea Billb. ex Beurl. nom. illeg. Maranta flexuosa C.Presl Maranta geniculata (L.) Lam. Renealmia erecta (Vell.) D.Dietr. nom. illeg. Renealmia geniculata (L.) D.Dietr. Thalia altissima Klotzsch. nom. inval. Thalia angustifolia C.Wright ex Griseb. Thalia caerulea Ridl. Thalia dipetala Gagnep. Thalia divaricata Chapm. Thalia erecta Vell. Thalia schumanniana De Wild. Thalia trichocalyx Gagnep. Thalia welwitschii Ridl.

Thalia geniculata is native to a large region in Africa, from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, south to Zimbabwe and Angola. It is also considered native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, most of South America, as well as the southeastern United States (Puerto Rico, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and southern Georgia).^[2][5]

Ecology

The larvae of Stolidoptera tachasara, Xylophanes hannemanni and Sphenarches anisodactylus have been recorded feeding on Thalia geniculata. The Thalia geniculata was also use to investigate the sugar-feeding behavior of Anopheles quadrimaculatus by measuring the impact and its survival(7)^{[citation needed]}

Chemistry

Rosmarinic acid can be found in plants in the family Marantaceae such as Thalia geniculata.^[6]