STARCH PLANTS 



Fill. 66. Maniok, or camotmg cahoy, or cassava 



Maniok was the most important food plant of all 

 tropical America when the Europeans discovered that 

 country. It grows well only in fhe tropics. A tempera- 

 ture as low as 10 is injurious to it. The plant is now 

 cultivated in all tropical countries, but its starch is ex- 

 ported chiefly from Brazil and the Straits Settlements 

 (Singapore). It is cultivated in Florida, but yields small 

 and poor crops there. 



Sweet and Bitter Maniok. The roots of all the species 

 contain Prussia acid, a very poisonous substance. If 

 they contain much of this, or if much of it is in the 

 starchy pith, the plant is called bitter maniok ; some 

 varieties contain but little, and are called sweet maniok. 

 The Prussia acid can be removed by careful washing of 

 the roots, by roasting or cooking, or by thorough drying 

 in the sun. Sweet maniok endures a cooler country and 



