How to Identify Velvet Arrowroot

1. Blades

The leaves of velvet arrowroot are about 6-20, broad and soft. The shape is oblong-lanceolate, the leaf surface is dark green with yellow-green stripes in the middle. The color of the back of the leaf is light gray-green at the beginning, and turns light purple-red in the later growth stage. Both sides are hairless, and the petiole is long, about 45 cm.

2. Flowers

The velvet arrowroot has an ovate inflorescence capitum, the size of a goose egg, growing alone on the scape. The bracts are broadly ovate and imbricately arranged, the small bracts are linear, the sepals are oblong, the corolla is white or violet, and the lobes are round-lanceolate. After the outer layer degenerates, the stamens become oblong in shape and are light purple cocoon-colored. The flowering period is from May to June.