Priscilla Hollingsworth
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Arrow Arum and Duck Potato – or Peltandra virginica and Sagittaria latifolia

5/17/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
These are two different plants, and not even that closely related (note that they are not classified in the same genus).  They do grow to a similar size, the leaves have a similar arrowlike shape, and they prefer the same kind of habitat.  Both plants grow in constantly wet soil to up to about a foot of standing water. Their native territory overlaps throughout large portions of North America, so these two plants can often be seen in the same areas of a given wetland.


Picture
Arrow Arum is also called Tuckahoe (which is derived from its Algonquin Indian name) and Bog Arum, and Duck Corn.  Peltandra virginica is its scientific name.  Arrow Arum grows in wetlands all over eastern North America.  Animals such as muskrats and ducks eat the seeds (which explains why it is sometimes known as Duck Corn).  The Arrow Arum at the Phinizy Swamp has leaves that are more curly and three-dimensional than the Duck Potato plant, but other populations in other areas can have somewhat flatter leaves.  If you examine the branching patterns of the veins in the leaves, you will see that they are different from Duck Potato.  

Picture
More about Arrow Arum:

If you were trying to live off the land, it would be especially important to be able to tell Arrow Arum from Duck Potato because, although both plants have starchy tubers attached to their root systems, the tubers from Arrow Arum are poisonous unless prepared very carefully.  Various Native American peoples knew how to prepare Arrow Arum tubers for eating, usually by boiling and/or drying them for long periods to neutralize the toxin.

Picture
Duck Potato can also be called Broadleaf Arrowhead, or Indian Potato, or Wapato.  In fact, there are a number of Indian names for this plant, surely because the tubers of this plant are tasty, not at all poisonous, and easy to prepare.  The scientific name is Sagittaria latifolia.  Duck Potato was an important food source not only for Native American peoples, but also for some European colonists in North America.  Duck Potato grows in wetlands across most of North America.   

Picture
More about Duck Potato:

 In the Phinizy Swamp, the populations of Duck Potato have flatter leaves than Arrow Arum.  But a surer way to tell the difference is to look at the veining patterns on the leaves.  Duck Potato leaves have veins that branch from a central point, in a starlike pattern, as compared to the branching veins of Arrow Arum.  Ducks readily eat the seeds, but do they actually eat the starchy tubers?  Sources disagree.  However, beavers, porcupines, and muskrats eat the entire plant.  Ducks certainly eat the seeds.

In the photo are left, I really like how all the Duck Potato leaves are pointing up in the sunlight, like shovel heads.



For information about visiting the Phinizy Swamp: http://naturalsciencesacademy.org/


1 Comment
Bianca the Baker link
12/7/2020 10:41:39 pm

Thank you for sharinng

Reply



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    Author

    Priscilla Hollingsworth, artist.

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Carl Purdy Music
    Cats
    Ceramics
    Ceramic Sculpture
    Clay Musical Instruments
    Collage
    Drawing
    Dyeing
    Exhibitions
    Flowers
    Folk Art Market
    Game Pieces
    Hand Spinning
    Howard Romero
    Hums & Oms
    Installation Art
    Lightning
    Master Naturalist
    Music And Art
    New Mexico
    Ojo Caliente
    Painting
    Performing Sculpture
    Phinizy Swamp
    Phinizy Swamp
    Porcelain
    Process
    Rainbows
    Rob Foster Music
    Santa Fe
    Sarah Fletcher Photos
    Sculpture
    Sketchbooks
    Snow
    Southern Observatory
    Spring
    Sunset
    Teapots
    Vermont Studio Center
    Water
    Westobou Festival

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