||Southern states |
||Perennial shrub |
||Alternate, deeply palmately lobed |
||Sexes separate but in the same inflorescence; showy only in a mass |
||Three-seeded, dry and splitting at maturity to release seeds |
||Seed, root (especially skin and juice), stem, fruit, mature leaf |
||Phaseolunatin (a cyanogenic glycoside) andhydrogen cyanide |
||This plant may cause profuse diarrhea. Bitter varieties of Cassava have a high hydrogen cyanide content and sweet varieties have a lower amount.
The root is edible only after special preparation. The bitter variety is used for making starch only.
May be toxic if ingested in high amounts. Symptoms may be depression, weakness, twitching, spasms, coma and death due to respiratory failure. Rarely will there be vomiting and nausea as initial symptoms. |