STARCHY FOODS 153 



July, when a good quality of sweet potato will bring from 4 

 to 8 cents per pound wholesale. 



Lleren (Calathea allouya) is a perennial herb, native of 

 South America, belonging with the same family as ginger 

 and attaining a height of 2 feet. It develops long canna-like 

 leaves and numerous potato-like tubers. Lleren is propagated 

 by crown divisions and is planted in rows 4 feet apart and 2 

 feet apart in the row. The tubers may be harvested about 10 

 months after planting. Lleren is much liked by the natives in 

 the West Indies but the flavor is disagreeable to most white 

 persons. 



YAM 



Many species of Dioscorea, or yams, native of East Indies 

 and West Indies, are used for food in tropical countries. These 

 plants are perennial, herbaceous climbers with underground 

 tubers varying in size in different species from a few inches 

 to 2 feet in length and from a few ounces to 40 pounds in 

 weight. Some species of yams also have aerial tubers. Yams 

 are most extensively cultivated in the West Indies and South 

 America, where they constitute an important source of food. 

 They are eaten boiled or baked, like potatoes. Yams are 

 propagated by a division of the crown and the usual planting 

 distance is 2 by 4 feet. Pole supports are used for the vines. 

 The tubers are harvested about 7 to 10 months after planting. 

 The common wild yams of Hawaii are known as uhi and hoi. 

 Yams contain 15 to 24 per cent, of starch and some of them 

 are of fairly good flavor. In the East Indies the favorite yam 

 is D. glohosa. The largest yielder is D. data. The common 

 yam of the West Indies is D. sativa. 



QUEENSLAND ARROWROOT 



The Queensland arrowroot (Canna edulis) is a native of 

 the West Indies but is perhaps most widely cultivated in Aus- 



