ABSTRACT
Cassava belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae; the possible origin of the genus Manihot is in Mexico/Central America and the cultivated species may have been domesticated from a wild species progenitor possibly along the south-western edge of the Amazon rainforest (Allem, 2002). The highest genetic diversity is seen in Brazil and that within Central America is also high. Cassava is monoecious, with separate male and female reproductive organs on the same plant and this is reflected in the high level of outcrossing observed.
