Description: A perennial shrub cultivated primarily for its large starchy underground roots. Leaves are deeply palmately divided.

Identification: Shrubby habit; distinctive deeply divided leaves; tuberous storage roots.

Habitat & distribution: Tropical crop widely cultivated in Kerala and other warm regions.

Uses / importance: Roots are an important carbohydrate food. Leaves may also be consumed after appropriate preparation. Processing is important because raw cassava contains cyanogenic compounds.

Taxonomy:
Kingdom – Plantae
Clade – Angiosperms
Clade – Eudicots
Order – Malpighiales
Family – Euphorbiaceae
Genus – Manihot
Species – M. esculenta

Sources: Kew POWO; ICAR; agricultural literature.