File:Manihot_esculenta_-_Köhler–s_Medizinal-Pflanzen-090.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ83124· pop 117· linked from 3,360 articles

cassava

Also known as manioc, mandioca, cassava plant, Manihot Esculenta, Manihot esculenta

Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions as an annual crop for its edible starchy tuberous root. Cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are processed to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. The Brazilian , and the related

OverviewAI-generated

Cassava, also known as 樹薯 or 木薯, is a species of plant with the scientific name *Manihot esculenta*. It belongs to the genus *Manihot* and the family Euphorbiaceae. The taxon was described by Crantz. It is an instance of a taxon and serves as a source for tapioca. The plant produces a capsule as its fruit type.

Cassava is indigenous to South America and has a range that includes Fujian, the Tibet Autonomous Region, Guangdong, and Barra do Corda. It is part of Brazilian cuisine. The plant is classified as a food ingredient, a useful plant, and a poisonous plant. Its uses include being a fodder, a medicinal plant, a vegetable, and for agriculture.

Synthesized by Vinony from 27 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, Encyclopedia of Life, Plants of the World, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

FamilyEuphorbiaceae

木薯（學名：Manihot esculenta），又称树薯，是一種大戟科木薯属植物，原產於南美洲。

via · Kew POWO

~27 min read

Encyclopedic overview

26 sections

Contents

Etymology
Description
Genome
History
Cultivation
Harvesting
Handling and storage
Pests and diseases
Viruses
Bacteria
Fungi and oomycetes
Nematodes
Insects
Production
Toxicity
Uses
Food and drink
Preparation of bitter cassava
Nutrition
Biofuel
Animal feed
Laundry starch
Folklore
See also
References
External links

Cassava is the third-largest source of carbohydrates in food in the tropics, after rice and maize, making it an important staple; more than 500 million people depend on it. It offers the advantage of being exceptionally drought-tolerant, and able to grow productively on poor soil. The largest producer is Nigeria, while Thailand is the largest exporter of cassava starch.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “cassava” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.