Espécies Silvestres de Manihot Mill. (Euphorbiaceae) da Coleção da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brasil

Manihot is a neotropical genus with about 70 species in Brazil. Considered an important source of starch, the wild species are useful in cassava breeding programs. Taxonomic studies on this genus are scarce, and several species are endangered. The Embrapa Cassava and Fruit Collection contain wild cassava species of Manihot from different regions in Brazil, although many have uncertain taxonomic identifi cations. The present study reviewed the taxonomy of these specimens and provides descriptions and illustrations for each collection/species. Thirteen species were identifi ed. The best represented biome in the collection was the Cerrado (eight species), followed by the Caatinga (fi ve species). Four taxa are distributed in more than one ecosystem, while six species are on red lists, indicating the importance of their conservation in germplasm banks.