Anacardium occidentale L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 383 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Trinidad to S. Tropical America. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison, a medicine and invertebrate food, has environmental uses and social uses and for fuel and food.

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–900 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Bolívar, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Guainía, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés.
Habit
Small tree, Tree.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Amarillo, Anacardo, Arbol de jobo, Cajú, Cashew, Casú, Caují, Caujil, Chura, Marañón, Marey, Mercy, Merey, Pauji
[UPFC]

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.
[FWTA]

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.
[Cayman]

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
[AERP]

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
[FTEA]

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
[CPLC]

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)
[FSOM]

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
[UNAL]

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.
[FZ]

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

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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
[AERP]

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
[AERP]

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
[AERP]

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
[AERP]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Fuel
Used for fuels.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

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

Common Names

English
Cashew Nut

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images
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    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0