Cassava,

Cassava, cassava - Manihot esculenta Crantz, belongs to Castor - Euphorbiaceae.

Description: perennial shrub, average height 1.3 m, sometimes up to 3m. Body round, erect, 2-3 shoots from the top division. The roots swell into tubers contain starch lean. Leaf lobes cut into 5-9 lobes propeller spear shaped, colored cultivars vary. Unisexual flowers, grow in clusters. Fruit spherical, at nine split into 6 pieces.

Parts used: Roots, leaves, bark - Radix, Folium et Cortex Manihotis Esculentae.

Habitat and harvest: Root in tropical America, widely cultivated for its edible tubers as food and leaves as vegetables. Can harvest the leaves, bark throughout the year, usually fresh.

Chemical composition: In fresh cassava tubers, a toxin in the form glucosid, under the effect of gastric and digestive enzymes, would be hydrolysis and acid release cyanhydric is toxic to humans. Cassava flour has a high proportion of starch, but lack protein and salt, and almost no vitamin; in addition to an antiseptic substance. Leaves and fruits contain many proteins, which in foil with necessary amino acids for the body. In the leaf is also poisonous HCN.

Sophisticated effects: Roots effective against rotting, toxic tarpaulin pepper leaf emphysema.

Uses: The root is used as food, prepared baking powders, as malt, wine processing. Hard boiled cassava leaves are used as vegetables, pickled content. Cassava leaves are dried proteins used as raw materials extraction, food, prepared flour, bran used instead to raise pigs and poultry. Cassava leaves are also used fresh leaves to feed silkworms eat cassava, livestock and freshwater fish. Cassava leaf retired folk used up pimples treatment. We also use testa trunk of Cassava to bundle up fractures.