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178 



THE MANDIOC. 



of this plant will allow of the same treatment. 

 Although the mandioc plant requires a dry situ- 

 ation, still when the rains fail in January the 

 crops fall short, for it is in this month, immedi- 

 ately after the first waters, that the principal 

 plantations of it are made. The Brazilians have 

 a peculiar name for each part of this plant ; the 

 root is called mandioca, the stalk maniva, the 

 leaves manisoba, and the juice manipueira. There 

 is one species of the plant, of which the juice is 

 harmless ; it bears the name of maccuveira. Its 

 root never grows to a great size, and it is there- 

 fore rather planted as an article of luxury than 

 as regular food. From this species less juice is 

 extracted than from the roots of equal dimen- 

 sions of any of the other kinds of mandioc. * 



* Du Tertre speaks of a species of harmless mandioc, 

 which is called Kamanioc, and he adds, that it is assez rare. 

 Histoire des Antilles, &c. torn. ii. p. 114. 



Labat likewise speaks of the Camanioc, " Comme qui 

 diroit le chef des maniocs. En effet son bois, ses fe'uilles et 

 ses ratines sont plus grandes et plus grosses que les autres 

 maniocs. Mais comme il est beaucoup plus long terns cl crottre 

 et a, murir, ei que ses racines rendent beaucoup moms dejarine 

 parcc qrtelles sont plus legeres et plus spongieuses que les 

 mitres, on le neglige et peu de gens en piaiitettt." — Nouveau 

 Voyage, &c. torn. i. p. 411. 



It is not only the root of the macaxeira which is smaller, 

 but the plant is, I think, altogether smaller than the other 

 species. 



Barrere, in the Nouvelle Relation de la France Equi- 

 tioxiale, p. 61., speaks of the harmless species under the name 

 of maniok sauvage. 



