Cassava, (Manihot esculenta), also called manioc, mandioca, or yuca, tuberous edible plant of the spurge family (Eurbiaceae) from the American tropics. It is cultivated throughout the tropical world for its tuberous roots, from which cassava flour, breads, tapioca, a laundry starch, and an alcoholic beverage are derived. Cassava probably was first cultivated by the Maya in Yucatán. A cyanide-producing sugar derivative occurs in varying amounts in most varieties. Indigenous peoples developed a complex refining system to remove the poison by grating, pressing, and heating the tubers.
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