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CASSAVA
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CASSAVA , the name given to the farinaceous See also:root of two See also:species of Euphorbiaceous See also:plants, the See also:bitter cassava, Manihot utilissima, and the sweet cassava, M. Aipi, both highly important See also:sources of See also:food starches; Manihot is given as the native Brazilian name in See also:Spanish writings of the 16th See also:century. They are herbaceous or semi-shrubby perennials with very large fleshy, cylindrical, tapering roots as much as 3 ft. See also:long and 6 to 9 in. in See also:diameter, and filled with milky juice. The slender stems, Cassava or Manioc (Manihot utilissima), less than See also:half nat. See also:size. 1, An inflorescence showing at a 3, Stamens and fleshy disc of male a See also:fruit which will presently See also:flower. See also:separate into five one-seeded 4, See also:Seed with its appendage (stroparts, about s nat. size. phiole or caruncle). 2, See also:Pistil of See also:female flower. 5 to 9 ft. high, See also:bear large spreading long-stalked leaves, with the blade divided nearly to the See also:base into three to seven long narrow segments. The plants are probably natives of See also:South See also:America, but the bitter cassava, which is the more important of the two in an economic sense, has been introduced into most tropical regions, and is extensively cultivated in See also:west tropical See also:Africa and the See also:Malay See also:Archipelago, from which, as well as from See also:Brazil and other South See also:American states, its See also:starch in the See also:form of See also:tapioca is a See also:staple See also:article of export. The See also:sap of the bitter cassava root contains hydrocyanic See also:acid, and the root, being therefore highly poisonous, cannot be eaten in a fresh See also:condition; while on the other See also:hand the sweet cassava is perfectly innocuous, and is employed as a table See also:vegetable. Exposure to See also:heat dissipates the poisonous principle, and the concentrated juice is in that See also:state used as the basis of cassareep and other sauces. From the bitter cassava roots many different food preparations are made in Brazil. The roots are preserved for use by being simply cleaned, sliced and dried; from such dried slices manioc or cassava See also:meal, used for cassava cakes, &c., is prepared by rasping. The starch also is separated and used for food under the name of Brazilian See also:arrowroot; and this, when agglomerated into pellets on hot plates, forms the `tapioca (q.v.) of See also:commerce. Cassava starch has a stellate hilum, which readily distinguishes it under the See also:microscope from other starches. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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