Rickert Nature Preserve

Sagittaria Latifolia Willd.
Broad-Leaved Arrowhead
Duck Potato
Wapato

Sagittaria species. Most if not all members of this genus produce edible tubers and a number of them are cultivated for this, especially in the Orient. They succeed in wet soils but are best in water 1 - 2ft deep. S. sagittifolia, the ARROWHEAD, is a native species and this is the plant that is most frequently cultivated. Its tubers can often be purchased in Chinese shops in this country and this is one of the best ways of obtaining plants, though the tubers need to be fresh if they are to grow away before rotting. The tubers are starchy with a distinct flavour that people have likened to potatoes, though I'm not sure that I agree. There is a slight bitterness, but this is mainly in the skin which is best removed after cooking. They make a very acceptable stodge part of the meal. The tubers can also be dried and ground into a flour, this flour can then be used as a gruel etc or can be added to cereal flours and used in making bread, biscuits or cakes. The tubers, which can be produced up to 1 metre from the plant, are best harvested in the late summer as the leaves die down, they should not be eaten raw.