178 CHIEF NUTRITIVE PLANTS OF THE TORRID ZONE 



a native of South America, is an herbaceous perennial and is pro- 

 pagated by parting the roots. It rises to the height of two 

 or three feet, has broad pointed leaves, and is crowned by a 

 spike of small white flowers. It is much cultivated, both for 

 domestic use and for exportation in the West Indies, and in 

 some parts of Hindostan. The arrowroot is obtained by first 

 pounding the long stalky roots in a large wooden mortar, and 

 pouring a quantity of water over them. After the whole has 

 been agitated for some time, the starch, separated from the 

 fibres, collects at the bottom of the vessel, and having been 

 cleansed by repeated washings is dried in the sun. 



The Tacca pinnatifida, likewise an herbaceous plant with pin- 

 nated leaves, an umbelliform blossom, and large potato-like roots, 

 is scattered over most of the South Sea Islands. It is not culti- 

 vated in the Hawaiian group, but found growing wild in abun- 

 dance in the more elevated districts, where it is satisfied with 

 the most meagre soil, and sprouts forth among the lava blocks of 

 those volcanic islands. Arrowroot is prepared from it in the 

 same manner as from the West Indian Marantha, but, as the 

 improvident Polynesians only think of digging it out of the 

 earth, and never give themselves the trouble of replanting the 

 small and useless tubers, its quantity has very much diminished 





The Caladium esculentum, an aquatic plant, furnishes the 

 large Taro roots which form the chief food of the Sandwich 

 Islanders, and are extensively cultivated iji many other groups of 

 the South Seas. It grows like rice on a marshy ground, the 

 large sagittated leaves rise on high foot-stalks, immediately 

 springing from the root, and are likewise very agreeable to the 

 taste, but are more seldom eaten, as they are used for propaga- 

 tion. Severed from the root, they merely require to be planted 

 in the mud to produce after six months a new harvest of roots. 

 The growth is so abundant that 1,500 persons can live upon the 

 produce of a single square mile, so that supposing the United 

 Kingdom to be one vast taro-field, its surface would be able to 

 nourish about two thousand millions of souls I 



The Sandwich Islanders boil the root to a thick paste (poe), 

 which they eat with their hands, for spoons, knives, and forks 

 are as yet but rare articles among the subjects of His Majestj 

 Knmoham^ha tlie fourth. 



