[2331] We accept the opinion of Körnicke (Monographiæ Marantaccarum Prodromus, Bull. de la Soc. imp. des Naturalistes de Moscou, xxxv. 1862, i.) that Maranta arundinacea L. and M. indica Tuss. are one and the same species. Grisebach maintains them as distinct (Flora of the British West Indian Islands, 1864, 605), allowing both to be natives of Tropical America; but he fails to point out any important character by which they may be distinguished from each other. According to Miquel (Linnæa, xviii. 1844. 71) the plant in the herbarium of Linnæus labelled M. arundinacea, is M. indica. We have ourselves made arrowroot from the fresh rhizomes of M. arundinacea, in order to compare it with an authentic specimen obtained in Java from M. indica: no difference could be found between them.
[2332] Sloane, Catal. plant. quæ in ins. Jamaica sponte proveniunt, vel vulgò coluntur, Lond. 1696. 122; also Hist. of Jamaica, i. (1707) 253.
[2333] Civil and Natural History of Jamaica, 1756. 112. 113.
[2334] Natural History of Barbados, 1750. 221.
[2335] Hortus Jamaicensis, i. (1814) 30.
[2336] Thus in 1799 there were exported from Jamaica 24 casks and boxes of “Indian Arrowroot.”—Renny, Hist. of Jamaica, 235.
[2337] Since the above was written, the following lines bearing on this question have been received from Mr. Spruce:—“ ... I know not Martius’ derivation of ‘arrowroot.’ On the Amazon it is called ‘ararúta’—plainly a corruption of the English name, and explained by the fact that it was first cultivated, as I was told, from tubers obtained in the East Indies.”
[2338] This was in the German colony of Blumenau in Southern Brazil—Eberhard, Arch. der Pharm. 134 (1868) 257.
[2339] Die Stärkekörner, Zürich, 1858. 4°, also W. Nägeli, Stärkegruppe, etc., Leipzig, 1874.
[2340] Further particulars on this question may be found in my paper Ueber Stärke und Cellulose—Archiv der Pharmacie, 196 (1871) 7.—F. A. F.