About Thalia geniculata L.
Thalia geniculata L., commonly known as bent alligator-flag, arrowroot, or fire-flag, is a widespread plant species found across tropical Africa and much of the Americas. In Africa, it is native to a large range extending from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, and south to Zimbabwe and Angola. It is also native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, most of South America, and the southeastern United States, including Puerto Rico, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and southern Georgia. In terms of ecology, the larvae of three moth species—Stolidoptera tachasara, Xylophanes hannemanni, and Sphenarches anisodactylus—have been recorded feeding on Thalia geniculata. This plant has also been used in research investigating the sugar-feeding behavior of Anopheles quadrimaculatus, by measuring the behavior's impact on the mosquito's survival.
