Anacardium occidentale
Anacardiaceae FAMILY

Anacardium occidentale

Anacardium occidentale

Edibility
5/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

The shell of the nut contains an acrid juice that acts as a powerful vesicant[ 63 Title Nuts. Publication Author Howes. F. N. Publisher Faber Year 1948 ISBN - Description Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable. ]. The active ingredient is cardole and it is poisonous in the same way as poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.)[ 63 Title Nuts. Publication Author Howes. F. N. Publisher Faber Year 1948 ISBN - Description Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable. , 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. Very irritant to the skin, causing severe blistering[ 63 Title Nuts. Publication Author Howes. F. N. Publisher Faber Year 1948 ISBN - Description Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable. ]. It is destroyed by heat, so roasting the seed whilst in its shell renders it completely safe[ 63 Title Nuts. Publication Author Howes. F. N. Publisher Faber Year 1948 ISBN - Description Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable. , 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ].

Botanical Description

Anacardium occidentale, the cashew, is a much branched, evergreen shrub or small tree with a spreading crown that can grow up to 15 metres tall[ 324 Title Edible Nuts. Publication Non-Wood Forest Products, Handbook 5 Author Wickens G.E. Website http://www.fao.org/docrep/ Publisher FAO, Rome. Year 1995 ISBN 92-5-103748-5 Description Detailed information on 20 of the most valuable nut crops, plus more basic information on a wide range of other nut-producing plants. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. It generally starts branching about 50 - 150cm from the ground[ 320 Title Trees Commonly Cultivated in SE Asia Publication Author Jensen. M. Publisher FAO Regional Office, Bangkok. Year 1999 ISBN 974-89377-5-5 Description ]. The crooked bole can be 20 - 40cm in diameter[ 419 Title Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. Publication Author Lorenzi. H. Publisher Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. Year 2002 ISBN 85-86714-17-8 Description Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best. ]. Originating in S. America, cashew is now one of the most commonly cultivated nut crops in the world and is widely grown in many tropical areas, especially India, Brazil and East Africa[ 63 Title Nuts. Publication Author Howes. F. N. Publisher Faber Year 1948 ISBN - Description Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable. ]. The plant also has a wide range of other uses, including as a medicine and source of various commodities.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeS. America - Brazil.
HabitatArid thickets in stony, sandy soils at elevations around 600 metres[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 307 Title Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. Publication Author Barwick. M. Publisher Thames & Hudson, London Year 2004 ISBN 0-500-51181-0 Description A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life. ]. Sand dunes near the sea[ 419 Title Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. Publication Author Lorenzi. H. Publisher Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. Year 2002 ISBN 85-86714-17-8 Description Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best. ].