[CH] the connection between Yucca and yuca (off-topic)
Brent Thompson (brent@hplbct.hpl.hp.com)
Wed, 19 May 1999 08:35:44 -0700
So, Yucca _is_ eaten, though not the roots. :-)
> Depending on the authority, yuccas are usually placed in the lily family
> (Liliaceae) or the agave family (Agavaceae). The name Yucca is derived from
> "yuca," a Carib Indian name for the cassava or tapioca plant (Manihot
> esculenta) of the euphorbia family (Euphorbiaceae). Yucca is also the creole
> word for cassava. "Yuca" is not to be confused with the lovely
> yellow-flowered morning glory (Merremia aurea) of the Cape Region of Baja
> California. Apparently the connection with starchy cassava roots is that
> yucca buds and young flower stalks of are also roasted for food. Yuccas are
> trunkless shrubs with rosettes of stiff, sword-shaped leaves arising at
> ground level, or tree-like with distinct trunks and limbs. Examples of the
> rosette forms include Spanish bayonet (Y. baccata) and chaparral yucca (Y.
> whipplei). Tree-like forms include the Joshua tree (Y. brevifolia) of the
> California and Arizona desert region, and tree yucca or "datillo" (Y.
> vallida) endemic to southern Baja California.
--- Brent