Herb with slender many-branched stems up to 1.5 m high and with leaves up to 25 cm long and 7-8 cm broad. Native to South America, it is grown in the tropics for its roots, from which a high-quality starch is extracted. The residue after the starch has been washed out from the crushed rhizomes is called bittie. In the process two fractions of bittie are obtained - coarse and fine. Fine bittie can be used as pig feed, and coarse bittie is more suitable for cattle.