Maranta arundinacea L.

Garut or arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is a herb 50-100 cm tall of the Marantaceae family, thought to originate from Central America and western Ecuador, now widely cultivated in Indonesia. Its easily digestible tuber makes it a common food ingredient for babies and people recovering from illness. Garut is also traditionally believed to be antipyretic and help increase breast milk production.

The garut plant grows in moist soil with pH 5.5-6.5, fertile soil and prefers bright areas or under shade with an annual temperature of 23-29°C. This plant grows well in lowlands up to elevations of 1,000 m above sea level and high rainfall of 1,500-2,000 mm/year.

• Rhizome fleshy, cylindrical shaped, white or reddish in color.
• Stem soft, upright, thin, heavily branched toward the tip.
• Leaves hard, branching, alternating, leaf stalk sheathed at the base, leaf blade egg-shaped to elongated, green or sometimes streaked white or reddish-purple.
• Flowers panicle-shaped, growing at the stem tip, white in color.
• Fruit oblong, dark red, hairless to hairy.

• Tuber, preferably select a tuber with 3 nodes, plant with shade.
• Once tall enough, transplant to a field without shade.
• Harvest at 12 months of age.
• Planting is usually done in October.

Flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, steroids, phenols, saponins, cardiac glycosides.

Antipyretic, antidiarrheal, increases breast milk production, bladder infection remedy, antidote (insect bites, venomous snakes), boosts appetite, diarrhea, vaginal discharge, stomach acid.

• Prepare garut rhizome and wash thoroughly with running water.
• Dry for several days. Once dry, grind into powder.
• Store in a sterile, airtight container.

Known by the local name Ararut, Patat sagu (Sunda), Lerut, Klarut, Jlarut, Irut, Waerut (Central Java), Larut, Pirut, Kirut (East Java), Marus (Bali).