Polynesian arrowroot | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Dioscoreales |
Family: | Dioscoreaceae |
Genus: | Tacca |
Species: | T. leontopetaloides
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Binomial name | |
Tacca leontopetaloides | |
Synonyms[3] | |
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Tacca leontopetaloides is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae. It is native to the islands of Southeast Asia. Austronesian peoples introduced it as a canoe plant throughout the Indo-Pacific tropics during prehistoric times. It has become naturalized to tropical Africa, South Asia, northern Australia, and Oceania.[2] Common names include Polynesian arrowroot, Fiji arrowroot, East Indies arrowroot, pia,[4] and seashore bat lily.[5]