tapioca plant seeds Tapioca Cassava Manihot escultenta 10 Seeds – R&B Floridaseeds

Manihot esculenta, commonly known as cassava, tapioca, manioc or yuca, is a milky-sapped tropical shrub that grows to 6-10' tall. Although native to Brazil, it has been planted as an annual root crop in tropical areas around the world for harvest of its stout, elongated, tuberous roots from which cassava, tapioca, starch and other food products are obtained. It features palmately lobed, medium green leaves (typically 3-7 parted) with each leaf lobe growing to 3-8" long. Small, apetalous, greenish-white flowers (corolla is absent but bell-shaped calyx is petal-like) in short terminal panicles bloom throughout the year. Flowers are unisexual. Fruit is an ovoid 6-winged capsule. The roots are poisonous. The roots contain toxic hydrocyanic acid which must be removed prior to consumption. They have to be boiled to remove the toxins before they can be eaten. Cultivated varieties are classed into two different groups: bitter varieties (primarily grown for starch) and sweet varieties (primarily grown as vegetable). Native to Brazil. Root crop in tropical to semi-tropical areas. Foliage annual or container plant for areas that are not frost-free.