Bagh-Moochh / Fiji Arrow Root
Tacca leontopetaloides
Also known as Tahiti Arrow Root, Bat Plant
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal & more
- Flowering
- July-October
How to identify Bagh-Moochh
Identify Bagh-Moochh by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-October.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Taccaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Bagh-Moochh.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Tacca leontopetaloides
- Genus
- Tacca
- Family
- Taccaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Stream banks of mixed forests. Also grown as garden plant
- Habitat type
- Wetland, Forest, Cultivated
- Distribution
- Widely distributed in the old world tropics
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-October
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Local Names
- Hindi
- बाघ मूंछ bagh-moochh, देवकन्द devkanda
- Tamil
- சேனை cenai, ககனம் kakanam, காறாக்கருணை kara-k-karunai
- Telugu
- అడవిదుంప adavi dumpa, కంద kanda, పెద్ద కంద గడ్డ pedda kanda gadda
- Kannada
- ದೈವಕಂದ daeva kaanda, ಹಂದಿಗೆಡ್ಡೆ handigedde, ಸೂರಣಗಡ್ಡೆ suranagadde
- Malayalam
- കാട്ടുചേന kattuchena
- Marathi
- देवकंद devakanda, जटाशंकर jatashankar, पेणघागरा penghagara, तवकीराच झाड
About Bagh-Moochh
A member of the Taccaceae family, Fiji arrow root (Tacca leontopetaloides) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and 5 other states. It grows in stream banks of mixed forests. Also grown as garden plant. Flowering and fruiting run from July to October.
Uses
It is grown for parts that are eaten and long used in traditional medicine. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
Taccaceae
Batflower Family
Bagh-Moochh belongs to the Taccaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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