WebManihot esculenta, commonly called cassava (/ k ə ˈ s ɑː v ə /), manioc, yuca, or tapioca (among numerous regional names) is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes.Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions as an annual crop for its edible starchy root ...