EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



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Figure 19. — Sweet potato {Ipomoea batatas). 



h. Cassava, manioc, or tapioca (Manihot esculenta) .—A 

 plant widely cultivated in the Old World Tropics and is the 

 commercial source of tapioca. It is a shrubby plant 3 to 5 

 feet high. The large roots are rich in starch. Warning: 

 The two varieties, bitter cassava and sweet cassava cannot be 

 distinguished by any characteristic other than by taste. 

 Bitter cassava is poisonous when eaten raw. Cooking elimi- 



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