Cassava

I know. I've been surprised by how often I learn, as I research the Notes for a new spotting, that plants I see every day are either edible, in whole or in part, or have modern or folk medicinal qualities. Just the other day I "discovered" taro, which I had known only as an ornamental plant called Elephant Ear. I hadn't associated it with taro tubers, a dietary staple in some parts of the world. Probably, this is because I'm from a part of the world that doesn't eat taro much. Neither do Europeans, but I learned they once did ... during the Roman Empire, taro was eaten like potato. But when the empire fell, the trade routes that brought taro from Southeast Asia collapsed and taro dropped off the menu, never to return in any significant way. Sorry to talk your ear off, but I love knowing stuff like that ... the history of the world told through plants!

Hi Suzanne, thanks for the ID suggestion..I think it may be cassava. I found a few pictures of the flowers that look similar. I was aware of what agricultural value cassava has in Africa, just never even thought this could be one! My dogs love eating the seeds of this tree! :)

Interesting plant you've got hold of there, staccyh. The genus has about 100 species. But this is, probably, Manihot esculenta, a major agricultural plant in tropical areas of the world. I looked for a link that included both the flower and the crop info, but didn't find one ... Google away!