Indian Arrowroot or Chavar is an annual herb which can grow up to 50-100 cm high. The plant has perennial rhizomes with many hanging tubers. Oblong lance-like leaves are up to half a meter long. Flowers occur in a spike 10-15 cm long and are yellow or white. More prominent are the greenish-white or pinkish-white bracts. The yellow flowers, which possess a long peduncle, are borne on a central spike. The plant is native to India and is found mainly growing wild on the tableland of the Raireshwar, Mahabaleshwar plateau and neighbouring regions in forest areas with high annual rainfall.

Hot moist conditions are essential requiring rainfall of upwards of 500 cm per annum characterises its natural habitat, though it may be grown on the banks of irrigation canals. Chavar is easily propagated by tuber cuttings, which are planted in raked soil at the beginning of the monsoon, frequently in areca nut plantations and on the banks of rivers and irrigation channels. It is often planted very densely to prevent soil erosion, in some areas up to 50,000 plants per hectare.

Source: Wikipedia