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Cassava

plant
Also known as: Manihot esculenta, Manihot utilissima, mandioc, manioc, yuca(Show More)

Cassava, (Manihot esculenta), tuberous edible plant of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) from the American tropics. It is cultivated throughout the tropical world for its tuberous roots, from which cassava flour, breads, tapioca, a laundry starch, and an alcoholic beverage are derived. Cassava probably was first cultivated by the Maya in Yucatán. Two cyanide-producing sugar derivatives, known as cyanogenic glucosides, occur in varying amounts in most varieties. Indigenous peoples developed a complex refining system to remove...