Scientific name: Montrichardia arborescens
Vern: mokomoko (En)
Local: mokomoko (GU, Sr); moucou-moucou (FG); aninga / aninga-açu / aninga-perereca (BrP)
Indig: mokomoko (Tr)
Growth Form: Herbs
Order: Alismatales (Monocot)
Family: Araceae
Notes: Montrichardia arborescens is a semi-aquatic, tree-like herbaceous plant belonging to the arum family (Araceae). It is a strict hydrophyte, flourishing in fresh to slightly brackish water. It forms vast, monospecific stands (known as aningais in Brazil) that trap sediment, stabilize riverbanks, and provide critical shelter for young fish, macroinvertebrates, and hoatzin birds. It forms massive, dense colonies along riverbanks, estuaries, and swampy margins throughout the Neotropics. The thick, succulently fibrous trunks are typically armed with short, sharp, conical prickles or spines—particularly on the lower, older portions of the stem—which provide structural reinforcement and defense. The interior tissue contains a clear, highly acrid, milky sap.