Anacardium occidentale L.

Anacardiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Vernacular

The Cashew tree

Ecology

Widely cultivated and commonly naturalized in the bush, chiefly in coastal districts.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular

CASHEW

Morphology General Habit

Tree to 12 m tall (but not often over 5 m) with wide-spreading branches and glabrous twigs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with petioles up to 2 cm long, the blades obovate to broadly elliptic, 7.5–15 cm long, 4.5–12 cm broad, the apex rounded or slightly emarginate, the base cuneate to obtuse, with 8–13 pairs of lateral nerves

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicles 10–18 cm long, longer than the uppermost leaves; bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 3–5 mm long, pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers fragrant, crowded at ends of inflorescence branches; pedicels 2–5 mm long; calyx lobes 3–5 mm long; petals linear-lanceolate, 7–15 mm long, at first cream- white with red-stripes, turning all red; stamens 2–12 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 1.9–2.7 cm long, olive-brown; ripe hypocarp (‘cashew apple’) red or yellow.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Native to the continental neotropics but cultivated and established world-wide in tropical countries.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Anacardiaceae, J. O. Kokwaro (University of Nairobi). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1986

Morphology General Habit

A shrub or tree up to 10 m. high; branchlets rather thick, glabrous, striate.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous; petiole 1–3 cm. long, ± 2 mm. broad at the base, semicylindric; lamina broadly obovate to oblong-obovate, 6.5–18 cm. long, 3.8–10 cm. broad, obtuse to rounded or emarginate at the apex, cuneate or rounded at the base, coriaceous to subcoriaceous and shining; midrib not raised above, very prominent beneath; lateral nerves 9–14 pairs, slightly raised.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 10–25 cm. long, with reddish to blackish ascendent puberulous branches; pedicels ± 0.5 mm. long, puberulous; bracts 5–10 mm. long, 2–5 mm. broad, ovate-lanceolate, densely greyish puberulous outside, glabrous inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-segments 4–5 mm. long, 1–2.2 mm. broad, lanceolate to oblong-ovate, greyish puberulous outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals linear-lanceolate, 7–13 mm. long, 1–1.7 mm. broad, yellowish white to pale reddish, puberulous on both faces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens unequal in length, 1–2 with filaments 6–9 mm. long, the others with filaments 2–3 mm. long and sterile anthers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary of the bisexual flowers obliquely obovoid, puberulous; style ± 4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit on a very thickened fleshy pedicel, kidney-shaped, laterally umbilicate, 2–3 cm. long, 1.5–2.5 cm. broad, greenish yellow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed kidney-shaped, with a reddish brown testa, 2 large white cotyledons and a small embryo.

Habitat

Old cultivations; 0–1400 m.

Distribution

K4 K7 P T3 T4 T5 T6 T8 Z widely cultivated and readily naturalized in the coastal belt, relatively rare inland but tried in some placesnative of tropical America

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Naturalizada y adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 900 m.; Amazonia, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Arbolito, árbol

Conservation

No Evaluada

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or tree up to 10 m high; branchlets glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous; petiole 1–3 cm long; blade broadly obovate to oblong-obovate, 6.5–18 x 3.8–10 cm, obtuse to retuse at the apex, cuneate or rounded at the base, shiny, leathery; midrib and 7–14 pairs of lateral nerves very prominent beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in 10–25 cm long puberulous panicles; bracts 4–10 mm long; sepals 3–5 mm long, puberulous; petals 7–13 mm long, cream to pale reddish, puberulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit on a very thickened fleshy pedicel, kidney-shaped, 2–3 cm long; seed kidney-shaped.

Distribution

S2, 3 native of tropical America, now widely cultivated throughout the tropics mainly for its edible seeds (cashew nuts).

Ecology

Coast

Vernacular

Bibbo (Somali), cashew (English)

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

cajuil, caujil, caujir, cayú, churá, marañón, marañón amarillo, marañón rojo, merey, paují

Anacardiaceae, Rosette Fernandes and A. Fernandes. Flora Zambesiaca 2:2. 1966

Morphology General Habit

A shrub or tree up to 10 m. tall, with rather thick glabrous striate branchlets.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves glabrous; petiole 1–3 cm. long and c. 2 mm. broad at the base, hemicylindric; lamina slightly discolorous, shining, 6·5–18 × 3·8–10 cm., broadly obovate to oblong-obovate, obtuse, rounded or emarginate at the apex, cuneate or rounded at the base, coriaceous to subcoriaceous; midrib not raised above, very prominent below, lateral nerves 9–17 pairs, slightly raised, reticulation slightly visible.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 10–25 cm. long, with reddish to blackish ascendent puberulous branches; pedicels c. 0·5 mm. long, puberulous; bracts 5–10 × 2–5 mm., ovate-lanceolate, densely greyish-puberulous outside, glabrous inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx segments 4–5 × 1–2·2 mm., lanceolate to oblong-ovate, greyish-puberulous outside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals yellowish-white to pale reddish, 7–13 × 1–1·7 mm., linear-lanceolate, puberulous on both faces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens unequal, 1–2 with filaments 6–9 mm. long, the others with filaments 2–3 mm. long and sterile anthers.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary of the hermaphrodite flowers obliquely obovoid, puberulous; style c. 4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit greenish-yellow, 2–3 × 1·5–2·5 × 1·5 cm., laterally umbilicate, with a very thickened and fleshy pedicel, 6–7·5 × 4·5 cm.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/60761600/60761604

Conservation

LC - least concern

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Use

The seeds must be roasted before eating. Also the fleshy pedicel (cashew apple) is edible, and the fruit-wall yields a valuable oil.