| Peltandra virginica | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Alismatales |
| Family: | Araceae |
| Subfamily: | Aroideae |
| Genus: | Peltandra |
| Species: | P. virginica |
| Binomial name | |
| Peltandra virginica (L.) Schott |
|
Peltandra virginica is a plant of the Araceae family known by the common names green arrow arum and tuckahoe. It is native to parts of eastern North America, where it is common in wet areas. It can be found elsewhere in North America as an introduced species and often an invasive plant.
This is an aquatic perennial herb growing from a large clumpy rhizome and producing many large leaves. An individual leaf may have a petiole nearly a meter long and a blade half a meter in length. The leaves are quite variable in shape and size, but they are often generally arrowhead-shaped.
The inflorescence bears male and female flowers, as well as sterile flowers. The flower varies from whitish to greenish to yellow. The fruit is a brown berry containing a few seeds within a clear gelatinous pulp.
The fly Elachiptera formosa breeds in this plant, mating on the inflorescence and laying eggs there, so the larvae can feed on the rotting spadix.[1]
The plant contains calcium oxalate crystals, making it unpalatable. Native Americans used most parts of the plant for food, however, cooking it for hours first to make it safe to eat.[1][2]