Cassava vs. Taro — What's the Difference?

Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names) is a woody shrub native to South America of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates.

Edible starchy tuberous root of taro plants

The starchy tuberous root of a tropical tree, used as food in tropical countries.

Colocasia esculenta is a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms, a root vegetable most commonly known as taro (), kalo, dasheen, madhumbe, marope, magogoya, patra or godere (see §Names and etymology for an extensive list). It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles.

The shrubby tree from which cassava is obtained, native to tropical America and cultivated throughout the tropics.

A tropical Asian plant of the arum family which has edible starchy corms and edible fleshy leaves, especially a variety with a large central corm grown as a staple in the Pacific.

A shrubby tropical American plant (Manihot esculenta) widely grown for its large, tuberous, starchy roots.

A widely cultivated tropical Asian aroid plant (Colocasia esculenta) having broad peltate leaves and large starchy edible corms.

The root of this plant, eaten as a staple food in the tropics only after leaching and drying to remove cyanide. Cassava starch is also the source of tapioca. In both senses also called manioc, yuca.

The corm of this plant. In both senses also called cocoyam.

Manioc (Manihot esculenta), a tropical plant which is the source of tapioca.

Colocasia esculenta, raised as a food primarily for its corm, which distantly resembles potato.

Tapioca, a starchy pulp made with manioc roots.

Any of several other species with similar corms and growth habit in Colocasia, Alocasia etc.

A shrubby euphorbiaceous plant of the genus Manihot, with fleshy rootstocks yielding an edible starch; - called also manioc.

Food from a taro plant.

A nutritious starch obtained from the rootstocks of the cassava plant, used as food and in making tapioca.

A name for several aroid plants (Colocasia antiquorum, var. esculenta, Colocasia macrorhiza, etc.), and their rootstocks. They have large ovate-sagittate leaves and large fleshy tuberous rootstocks, which are cooked and used for food in tropical countries.

A starch made by leaching and drying the root of the cassava plant; the source of tapioca; a staple food in the tropics

Herb of the Pacific islands grown throughout the tropics for its edible root and in temperate areas as an ornamental for its large glossy leaves

Cassava root eaten as a staple food after drying and leaching; source of tapioca

Tropical starchy tuberous root

Any of several plants of the genus Manihot having fleshy roots yielding a nutritious starch