Cassava
Cassava: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Cassava, Manihot esculenta, is a tropical member of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. It is a perennial shrub whose stems gradually become woody. Under favourable conditions it can reach around two to three metres. Its importance among tropical food crops mainly comes from starch-rich roots, while its outline and foliage also have botanical and ornamental interest.The leaves are alternate and carried on long stalks. Each blade is deeply divided into several elongated lobes, usually three to seven, arranged like the fingers of a hand. Size and division vary between cultivars. Foliage is normally green, although some ornamental selections have variegated areas. The stems contain milky sap and carry scars left by older leaves.Below ground, some roots thicken to store reserves. These elongated storage roots have a brownish outer covering and pale flesh whose colour varies with the variety. They develop around the plant's base. Their number, size…
