CHAPTER X 



STARCH PLANTS 



STARCH is formed in the leaves of most plants, in the 

 sunlight ; but this starch is soon used by the plant for 

 its own growth, and leaves never contain enough starch 

 so that it would pay to try to extract it. Many plants 

 also store up starch in their roots, trunks, or in other 

 parts to be used later in making fruit, or in propagating 

 themselves in some other way. 



The thick trunk of the buri palm is a place in which 

 starch is stored up for many years, and then used all in 

 one season in making fruit. Every Filipino knows that 

 he can get good starch from this trunk. Sago is a kind 

 of starch obtained from certain palms and other similar 

 trees. Starch is also easily obtained from the fruit of 

 rice and maize. Three root crops which are important 

 sources of starch are maniok or cassava, potato, and 

 arrowroot. 



MANIOK 



History of the Plant. Maniok is the plant called 

 camoting cahoy in the Philippines, and known in botany 

 as Manihot utilissima. It is a native of tropical Amer- 

 ica, where there are many other species of Manihot. 

 One of these is Manihot Glaziovii, the Ceara rubber, 

 which is now being planted in the Philippines. 



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