Ricinus minor, &c. Sloane, Jam. v. 1. p. 130, t. 85, et t. 



141. /. 1. (root) et vol. 2. App. t. G.f. 1. 

 Manihot Theveti, Yucca, et Cassavi. Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 



p. 794. 



Descr. cc This has an oblong, tuberous root, as big as 

 one's fist, having some fibres drawing its nourishment, and 

 being full of a wheyish, venomous juice. The stalks are 

 white, crooked, brittle, having a very large pith, and 

 several knobs sticking out on every side like warts, being 

 the remains of the footstalks of the leaves, which have 

 dropped off. The plant usually rises six to seven feet 

 high, and has a smooth, white bark ; the branches, which 

 come out on every side towards the top, are crooked, and 

 have, on every side, near their tops, leaves, irregularly 

 placed" (Sloane), on long, terete petioles, broadly cordate 

 in their outline, divided nearly to their base into five 

 spreading, lanceolate, entire segments, attenuated at both 

 extremities, dark green above, pale glaucous beneath ; the 

 midrib strong, prominent below, and there yellowish-red : 

 from it there branch off several oblique veins, connected by 

 lesser transverse ones. Stipules small, lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, caducous. Panicles or compound racemes, axillary 

 and terminal, four to five inches long, bearing sometimes 

 all male or all female flowers, at other times these are mixed 

 on the same peduncle. Pedicels with small, subulate, 

 bracteas at their base. Male flower smaller than the 

 female. Perianth single, purplish on the outside, fulvous- 

 brown within, cut about half-way down into five, spreading 

 segments. In the centre of the flower is an orange-colour- 

 ed, fleshy, ten-rayed nectary, and the ten stamens alternate 

 with its lobes or rays. Filaments shorter than the perianth, 

 white, filiform, free. Anthers linear-oblong, yellow. Pol- 

 len globular, yellow. Female flower of the same colour as 

 the male, deeply five-partite, the laciniae lanceolato-ovate, 

 spreading. Nectary an annular, orange-coloured gland or 

 ring, in which the purple, ovate, furrowed germen is im- 

 bedded : Style short: Stigmas three, reflexed, furrowed, 

 and plaited, white. Capsule ovate, trigonous, tricoccous. 

 Seeds elliptical, black, shining, with a thick, fleshy, seed- 

 stalk. 



We learn from the Hortus Kewensis, that the Cassava has 

 been cultivated in the stoves of Great Britain ever since the 

 year ] 739, having been introduced from South America, 



where 



